Light in the Dark
by Elissa Penworthy
Summary: It's been two years since the carousel didn't work. Scip is an outcast, Prop and the gang still live in the Stella, and now a new girl comes to Venice... mostly book-verse. Gasp, it's romance now! Scip/OC, Prop/Hornet
1. Chapter 1

I don't own The Thief Lord or anyone from it! Wish I did, though.

Chapter 1

My parents and older brother doted on me constantly, checking to see that I was all right and not hurt. I think that I knew, deep inside, that the perfection of our simple life could never last as long as I hoped, and my hidden fears of being alone formed a twisted reality after my father died when I was seven. I remember asking my mother what had happened to "Dada", I remember her face crumpling slightly at the question, her eyes filling with salty diamonds as she choked out that "Dada" was gone – in a beautiful place where he waited for us to join him.

And some of us would join him sooner than expected…

_Smoke. All around me, choking me, making my head whirl. I needed to find a way out. Glancing around, I prayed that there was a place for me to squeeze through to fresh air. I coughed and started to crawl towards my window. Feeling weak and sick, I sat up on my knees, to see that orange tongues of flame licked the now soot-blackened windowpanes. I could feel my own need for clean air, threatening to blot out my life as the flames had encrusted the windows with ashes. I crouched down again and dragged myself out of my room and into the parlor. Again I checked the window, but this time the window was clean and cool to the touch. I glanced up towards the latch that held the window shut. With trembling fingers, I grasped the cool latch and yanked it towards me, but the window didn't open._

_"Emelyn!" my father was at my side in a flash. My grey eyes flooded with tears, although I didn't know why._

_"It won't open, Dada!" I glanced up at my father, whose strong fingers found the window latch and yanked it open. Then he gathered me in his arms, kissed the top of my head, and whispered in my ear._

_"Say goodbye to Mama for me, okay?" his voice broke and he set me gently down outside of the window._

_I remember running away from the burning house, choking on the clean air. My cowardliness haunted me every step of the way before I collapsed in front of my mother and burst into tears. Mama was franticly watching the house, waiting for Dada to run out and find us. She picked me up in her arms and held me close._

_Burying myself into her, I remembered Dada's message for her. "Dada said goodbye, Mama," I looked up at her and spoke in a hoarse voice._

_My mother looked down at me. "When did he say that?"_

_"I was trying to get out of the window, but it was stuck. Dada came and opened it for me, and then he told me to say goodbye, and then he put me outside," I babbled on, watching as my mother's face crumpled._

_"No…" she breathed, horror written in ash on her now pale face. She set me on the ground and ran back to the house. My brother, Scuro, ran after her, caught her, and held her in a tight hug as she strained to get back to the burnt skeleton of our house._

_"Shh, it's all right, it's okay," Scuro soothed her gently and led her away from the house's now smoking remains._

_"Mama?" I spoke, my voice quavering slightly._

_"Yes, Emelyn?" she looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks._

_"Where's Dada?"_

_My mother bit back a sob. "Dada's gone now, Emelyn. He's in _cielo_—heaven—waiting for us to join him."_

_"Heaven? Where's that? Can we visit Dada?"_

_"Heaven is where you go when you love Jesus with all your heart," my mother explained softly._

_"Did Dada love Jesus?"_

_"Yes. Very much." Mama's face wavered._

_"More than us?"_

_"Yes, but you two were the most important things in his life, and he loved you very much. Don't ever forget that, okay?" my mother's face crumpled when I nodded silently. "That's a good girl," she choked out._

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Characters:

Scuro—darkness

Sandy-blonde hair, dark blue eyes, lightly tanned skin. Quiet; overly conscious of other peoples' opinions. Easily overwhelmed; violent when afraid.

Emelyn—labor

Dark brown hair, dark grey eyes, pale skin. Quiet; often judgmental towards others. Extremely loyal to family and friends.

Italian definitions:

Cielo: Heaven

Note:

Yay! My first Thief Lord fanfic AND my first fanfic with an OC!

Okay, Scuro and Emelyn's mother was Italian and their father was English. They grow up in southern England, away from most other people (kind of a country-ish house).

Any other questions? Feel free to ask in a review or just message me!

Please review, though. Even if you have issues with the story, please tell me!

~Elissa~


	2. Chapter 2

If I did own the Thief Lord, do you think I would be working on FAN fiction? No, I didn't think so. And my name would be Cornelia Funke, wouldn't it? =)

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Chapter 2

_Six years passed before my life got any worse. I was working in the garden, singing quietly to myself, when I heard screaming coming from the front of the house._

_"No! Let me go!" I could hear my mother's voice, laced with fear and desperation._

_"What are you doing?" Scuro sounded furious. "Stop! Leave us alone!" I struggled to make my feet move towards their voices, to see what was the matter. When I peeked around the corner, I saw three men, taller than my brother or my father. Two of them were tugging on my mother's arms, forcing her towards a shining, new-looking car._

_"Mama!" I cried out, my voice sounding high and unsure._

_"Emelyn!" my mother's eyes filled with tears. "Emelyn, stay there! Don't come any closer!"_

_"But Mama-"_

_"No! Stay there!" she cut me off, her voice steely and her eyes showing her agony. One of the men held up a gun and pointed it at me. I could see Mama shaking and her brow furrowing slightly. "Stop! I'll come with you, just leave them alone," she spat at the three men._

_"Mama?" Scuro murmured. He shook visibly and took a half step towards our mother. I heard two of the men speaking quietly to each other and glancing hostilely at my brother and me. Then one of them nodded quickly and stepped over to Scuro. The man hit my brother over the head and I heard Scuro let out a small cry before he tumbled to the ground._

_"Scuro!" I ran over to my brother as the man retreated back to the car. My brother's eyes were tear-filled and glazed over in pain, and he held a hand on his head. When he shakily removed his hand and glanced down at it, we both saw that a sticky red substance stained his pale skin._

_"You're bleeding, Scuro," I pointed out worriedly. After handing him my handkerchief, I stood and curled my pale hands into fists, anger rising in me; I glanced back at my brother, fearing for his safety. When I saw the pain in his eyes, my fury grew. These men had harmed my broken family; therefore, they must pay._

_The three men weren't paying attention to me—I was, in their minds, a stupid girl, and they thought I could do no harm. My mouth turned up into a malicious smirk and my eyes narrowed slightly. Then I strode across our front lawn and towards the car. My mother was sitting in the backseat of the car, staring down at her lap. The foolish men who held her captive turned as I approached._

_"Don't come any closer, _signorina_," the man with the gun warned, aiming at me. I halted, glaring at him._

_"Let my mother go," the strength of my voice surprised me._

_The men just laughed; I felt my vicious hate towards them grow significantly. Growling unintelligibly under my breath, I squared my shoulders and picked up one foot._

_At that moment, my mother realized what I was doing. "No, Emelyn!" She opened the car door and ran towards me, arms spread wide._

_She never reached me. A shot rang out and she fell, a red current spreading around her, seeming to lap hungrily at my bare feet. I heard an inhuman scream from behind me and knew that it was Scuro. The three men seemed stunned, and they stared blankly from the gun to the body—my mother's body—and back. After a short pause, they scrambled backwards, tripping over each other, towards the car. The doors slammed and the men sped off before I decided to run after them._

_"Mama," my whispered word was like an apology, a plea for her to return to us. I briefly remembered where she had said my father was. Are you there with Dada now? I silently asked her._

_My eyes closed, but it was no protection against the thousands of memories that bombarded me, tearing me with claws of regret and loss: Mama bending over me, a peaceful smile etched on her face; Mama bandaging a scrape on my arm; Mama humming as she cleaned the dishes… A wail rose in my throat and I choked the sound out, then I began sobbing. I threw myself down onto Mama's uninhabited corpse, getting blood on the front of my new shirt—the shirt that Mama had made for me. The moisture in my eyes threatened to spill out, and I let it._

_After a long time, I heard uneven footsteps behind me. I quickly dried my eyes and turned to see my brother, his eyes red and puffy from tears, standing with his hand clamped onto his head. The glare he fixed on me made me uneasy, as well as the fist he made by his side._

_Finally he spoke. "She's dead," it wasn't a question._

_I nodded, my bottom lip shaking._

_Scuro let out a small, mournful sound, and I reached up to comfort him, but as soon as I moved, he stepped back a step. "This is all your fault, Emelyn," he spat at me, his blue eyes flashing with such anger that it struck fear in me. "If you hadn't been born, none of this would have happened. Dada and Mama would both still be alive!"_

_I opened my mouth to reply, but only a sob escaped my lips._

_"Leave. Now," my brother took a menacing step towards me, and I cowered._

_"But, Scuro-"_

_"No! I will not let you kill me as well!"_

_I knew that I had to go to avoid being harmed. "May I at least get a few things from my room?" my voice was steady, unlike the rest of me. Scuro hesitated, and I spoke again, "Mama would have shown me at least that much mercy. And Dada would have, as well."_

_His gaze snapped back to me. "Do not speak of them!" he roared, but he stepped aside and limped back towards the house._

_I ran quickly after him and wasted no time in packing a few things in an old burlap bag—two shirts, a pair of pants, a blanket, and a pouch containing some bread and cheese. I was about to slip the jeweled bracelet given to me by my mother into the bag, but I felt Scuro's glare on my back and I left it lying on my dresser. Then I turned around and met his gaze evenly. " I'm done," I muttered._

_His only reply was to nod slightly and step away from the doorway of my bedroom._

_I slung the bag over my shoulder and strode out of my room with my head held high. Scuro accompanied me to the door of the house and watched me as I left the yard. "Don't come back!" he yelled after me._

_"I won't," I murmured softly, glancing back at my brother—my brother no longer—standing defiantly in front of our house. His house, I corrected myself mentally. Then I broke into a run._

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Italian words:  
Signorina-girl, young woman

Note:  
All right, part two! Yay for fast writing! -mentally high-fives self-  
So, yeah. Any questions? Complaints? Snide remarks? Do you love the idea? Hate it? Like Emelyn? Wish she would go die in a hole? Tell me about it! Reviews are welcome, as always!

~Elissa~


	3. Chapter 3

I still don't own the Thief Lord. Never claimed that I ever did.

It was cold. That was the first thing I noticed when I woke from my slumber. I drew the blanket I had brought with me up to my chin and exhaled. I could see my breath, like a white cloud of smoke. Shivering, I reached into my bag and pulled out the pouch. Inside was a small bit of bread, not enough to make a mouthful for me. I sighed and leaned back against the building behind me.

It had been two weeks since Scuro had thrown me out of the house, and I was still trying to get far enough away from him to ensure that he could never find me. I stayed away from most other people; I feared that I might be recognized if I strayed to far into a town.

I sighed impatiently and racked my brain to find a suitable location for me to run away to. My family lived in southern England for as long as I could remember, but I needed a place that was crowded enough to get lost, just in case Scuro did come look for me. I doubted that London was far enough away for it to be a good location, and I knew that Scuro had the best advantage in England, so I needed to find another country to run away to.

My father was English and my mother was Italian, so maybe Italy would be a good place for me to look. Mama had given me a few lessons in Italian, so I knew a few basic words and phrases that I might need. Yes! Italy would be my safety, and I would be as inconspicuous as I needed to be among the tourists that no doubt flocked there. Where had Mama said she was born? Venice, I remembered her saying that Venice was one of the few magical cities left in our world. It was crowded with tourists and citizens. The perfect location for a runaway, as I now was.

But how would I get there? I had no money, and miles and miles of land and water separated England and Italy. Maybe I could steal enough to ride a bus… I shut the thought down immediately. I was not a thief, nor would I ever become a thief. The darker side of my mind argued, But what if it was necessary? You know that you would do about anything to survive.

I stood, feeling my stiff knees clench, and began packing up the little I had in my bag. I decided that I would go and see how far I could go before I began worrying. Stretching and yawning, I set off towards the watery channel that separated me from continuing on my journey to freedom.

Three days later, I reached a small city on the coast of England. I immediately looked around and found an alley to rest in and curled up in it, my eyelids drooping. My exhaustion soon caught up with me, and I slept soundly.

_The sky was the clearest I'd ever seen, cloudless and robin's-egg blue. The grass under my bare feet was cool and soft. A breeze wafted around me, smelling of home…_

_Home. My footsteps sped across the grass towards the familiar building that stood, welcoming, on the lawn. As I drew nearer to the house, I heard the door open and heard a familiar voice call, "Emelyn!"_

_"Mama?" I focused on the house, hoping for a glance of my mother._

_"Emelyn!" this time the voice was my father's._

_"Dada!" I ran to the door of the house and saw my parents standing in front of the door, smiling at me. My father's arm was around my mother, and her hands held his hands tightly._

_"Emelyn, remember us," my father smiled, though his eyes were sad. "Don't let anything discourage you. You're strong, and we're proud of you. Don't ever forget that."_

_I nodded mutely, and then wanted to voice how much I missed them. "Mama, Dada… I-"_

_"We understand, Emelyn," Mama smiled. "We love you. Very much."_

_"I know, Mama," my eyes moistened._

And then I woke up; tears streamed freely down my dirty face. I knew that it had been a dream, but I didn't care—seeing my parents brought back memories so sharply that my breath was taken away. I sighed. How long until my past was far enough behind me that I could think about my parents without the danger of me crying? Never, part of me whispered gently. You know that you love them too much to forget them.

"Yes," I agreed out loud, softly. Then I rubbed my tired eyes and stood, deciding that I still could go further along before stopping today. Before I left the alley, I found a black rock and wrote the date on one of the buildings' walls, though I didn't know why. But, hey, who knew? Maybe I would come back here someday. And maybe I wouldn't survive to see tomorrow's sunrise.

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Note:

Another part! Short, though. Sorry.

Okay, so I know what I think about the story, but I have no idea what you think unless you tell me. So please review!

~Elissa~


	4. Chapter 4

Still don't own The Thief Lord. Still wish I did.

The next day, I had found a dock on the coast. It was home to a small ship that was taking passengers across the English Channel. I knew that it was a good chance, so I decided that I would sneak on board and get a ride. As the other passengers were herded onto the boat, I stepped close to one family, to make others believe that I was a part of that family. The youngest of the family's three children stared at me with wide blue eyes and held onto his mother's arm; his unsure gaze looked the same as my brother's gaze when he was confused…

Scuro. Not my brother. He is no kin to me now, I reminded myself mournfully. After I was waved aboard by a bored-looking man, whose job, it seemed, was to collect tickets; I sat down on a bench near the back of the boat. Leaning forward and placing my head in my hands, I was overwhelmed by a flood of misery regarding my current situation. Dada, dead; Mama, dead as well; Scuro threw me out of the house; me, on the run from my former brother, without a decent place to lay my head, not knowing where I will get my next meal… How long can I survive like this?

Scuro's voice rang in my head, You are weak, Emelyn. Your name may mean "labor," but it is only mocking you, reminding you of your weakness and your incapability to be useful.

I am not weak! I will find a place, away from you, and I will make a life of my own! I raised my head and glared into the waters that splashed softly around the boat.

You will not survive for long. Soon you will give up and crawl back to me, begging for shelter. And I will not grant you that shelter.

The hatred in his voice raked me like claws, but I retorted, I do not need you. I can take care of myself, and then you will see my strength! I curled my pale hands into fists. Emelyn? No, I am Emelyn no longer. Now I am Pena, for sorrow seems to linger around me, like smoke around a fire.

Pena. The name seemed to suit me, and it lingered possessively on my tongue as if it belonged there. Not Emelyn, now, Mama and Dada. I let my fists relax and fall gently into my lap. A smile formed on my face as I felt something like relief wash over me.

It took a full two hours to cross the channel, and then the small boat docked calmly in France at about five in the afternoon. I knew that the faster I got to Venice, the harder it would be for Scuro if he tried to find me, but I also knew that I desperately needed some rest. The town around the dock looked small enough from where I sat on the boat, so I decided to go explore it. I stood and followed the other passengers to get off of the boat. I kept my eyes fixed downwards as I walked down the gangplank of the swaying ship until I stepped onto the sturdy land. Then I looked up and cautiously crept further in to the town around the docks, like a mouse amidst a family of sleeping cats.

After exploring the town (which was as small as I had thought while I was in the boat), I found a small alley and immediately curled up in a corner, using my blanket to keep me warm and my bag as a pillow, and slept, this time without dreams.

But my sleep didn't last long, and I woke to darkness enfolding the slumbering town. The small stars winked at me, laughing silently. My numb hands moved slowly as I packed my bag. The peaceful stillness disarmed me enough that I almost fell back asleep, but I resisted and continued on my journey.

The sleeping town was beautiful to behold. It was nestled in between two hills, which sparkled with small drops of moisture on the long stems of grass. The stores were neatly aligned on the sides of the streets, perfectly symmetrical in their pattern. Quiet rippling sounded from the channel, a melody that was accented with the chirpings of crickets and the _woosh_ing of the wind. A full moon stared down at me and bathed everything in her soft, silvery glow.

I blinked sleepily and trudged up the side of the hill southeast from the channel. Pausing at the top of the ridge, I looked behind me one last time. A pang of jealousy hit me as I thought of the children that lived in that perfect little town and understood that my life would never be as comfortable, as protected, as loved as their lives were. Instead, I knew that my chaotic life was unmissed by even one person, that I wasn't the source of any remorse or shed tears. No, I most likely wouldn't even be mentioned in anyone's conversations back home.

My eyes filled with tears, but I blinked quickly and they were gone. My life was better now than it would have been if I had stayed with Scuro. With Mama and Dada gone, Scuro was a different person, and I was a firsthand witness of that. _Were my parents' deaths my fault, as Scuro had said?_

_Would they have died if I hadn't been there?_ I could feel my eyebrows furrow in my confusion. _How could I have done such a thing? I loved Mama and Dada—I still do!_ I let out a small sob and fell to the ground, my body wracking from the storm of sorrow that blanketed over me. I embraced the feeling, greeting it like a familiar friend.

My tears fell onto the dry ground like salty raindrops, splattering the earth and soaking slowly into it. When I had cried all my tears, I sat up. My throat ached from thirst and my belly grumbled from a lack of food. I gazed down at my hands and realized that I was shaking—from physical stress or emotional, I didn't know.

My parents' deaths now rested on my head. Scuro had realized this, and had wisely disposed of me before I could do any more damage. _How can I stop the monster that I am?_ the thought spiraled in my head. _I can't kill myself. I don't want to die. How does one rid themselves of their faults?_

How, indeed? I laid my head on the grass behind me and stared back at the stars as they continued their timeless, unending waltz across the heavens, their grace unmarred by any fault. The stars had never been heartbroken, never seen pain. Or had they? Were they plodding across the sky, weeping for the lost?

_Was I like them?_ That idea caught my attention. _How could I be like these laughing, shining, graceful stars?_

The other option tugged on my mind, like a small child on their mother's sleeve. _Or am I a monster?_

My thoughts wove back and forth as I stood and turned my back on the town and ran down the hill, trying desperately to escape the doubts in my mind.

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Italian vocab!!!

Pena—sorrow

Note:

Wow, depressing much? Okay, I promise that Pena's life will get better! Eventually. Patience, please! Special thanks to DanceCamilleDance, Carmel. (Carmykins), kittyz!, Jessie is Awesome, !\sammy/!, , Annonymous pleasedon'tstopwriting for reviewing!

So, how am I doing? Please tell me!

~Elissa~


	5. Author's Note

Okay, so I know how much everyone hates Author Notes, so I'll make this as short and painless as possible.

First, I just wanted to let everyone know that reviews are my bread and butter. Please don't let me starve! I even made sure that those without accounts can review. Just make sure that you please please please leave your name in the lovely little box that says "Name". That way I can answer any questions that you may have! When I get 5 more reviews, you get a new chapter!

Second, if you will PM me or review one of my stories and give me an idea for a story, I will post the idea in poll form on my page and people will vote about what they think of the idea. If 50% or above like the idea, I will write it. If not, then… I won't write it.

Thirdly… never mind. I just wanted to say thirdly. But I'm typing it. Wait, what?

I'm going to go before I confuse myself more.

~Elissa~


	6. Chapter 5

I still do not own The Thief Lord, and I don't think I ever will. A girl can dream, though, right?

It was about ten in the afternoon when I stopped running and nearly collapsed in my exhaustion. I struggled to control my uneven breathing and sat down on the damp grass. Then I yawned and stretched. I can spare a few hours to sleep, I thought as my heavy eyelids closed.

I jerked awake when I felt something poke me. What's that? my brain could hardly work. I looked behind me to see a small girl, her head cocked to the side and an arm outstretched towards me.

I couldn't help it—I screamed, my body finally awake enough to comprehend what was happening around me. The girl struggled not to laugh at my surprise, but a grin formed on her lips and her amber eyes sparkled. I stopped screaming and stared at her with wide eyes, wondering, Who is she?

The girl opened her mouth and asked, "Tu t'appelles comment?"

I said nothing.

She grinned widely. "Tu parles français?"

"Um," I must have looked confused, because she laughed.

"Do you speak English?"

"Yes?" I was confused. "Who are you?"

"I'm Adeline. Who are you?"

"Eme- Pena. My name's Pena."

"Nice to meet you, Pena. What are you doing here?"

I didn't answer, I just stared suspiciously at the girl—Adeline.

Adeline rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to tell on you, silly."

"I'm… trying to get to Venice."

Adeline raised one eyebrow and tucked her long, black hair behind her ear. "Venice, huh? Why are you going there?"

"My mother was born there. I want to explore," I cautiously answered, watching her closely.

"Exploring?" her eyes lit up.

"Yeah."

"How old are you, Pena?"

"Fifteen. You?"

"I'm twelve. My birthday was two days ago," Adeline smiled proudly.

I nodded, hoping that I looked interested.

"How are you getting to Venice?"

I hesitated again. "Walking?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she echoed, "Walking? You're walking to Venice? Are you crazy?"

"No. Why?"

"You're in France! No one walks all the way from France to Venice!"

"I guess I do, then," I shrugged.

"Well, you must be pretty desperate to get to Venice," her eyes showed that she understood that I was going to Venice for more reason than for exploration, but she didn't ask for an explanation.

"Yes, I am."

Adeline thought for a while. "My grand-maman said that I could go anywhere for vacation that I wanted. You could come with us, and we could go to Venice!"

"Why would you do that for me? You don't even know me!" my disbelief made me exclaim.

Adeline shrugged. "I don't know. I just think that it's important to you." Then she grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind her. "We can tell my grand-maman that you go to school with me," she glanced at me over her shoulder.

We walked for about five minutes before we reached her grandma's house. While we walked, Adeline chattered about how she lived with her grand-maman while her parents traveled.

"There it is!" Adeline skipped towards the small house, still holding onto my hand. She stepped through the door and called, "_Grand-maman_? I brought a friend home!"

Her grandmother peered into the front room. "Adeline, you're home!" her smile was as sweet as her granddaughter's. Then her eyes rested on me. "Welcome!"

"Hello," I nodded awkwardly and smiled shyly. Adeline caught my eye and grinned.

"_Grand-maman_, this is Pena. She's a very good friend of mine."

"Hello, Pena. You can call me Linette," Adeline's grandmother smiled again. I felt myself grow more comfortable. Adeline and her grandma were so nice!

Adeline turned back to her grandma—Linette. "Can we bring Pena with us to Venice? Her _mére_ was born there, so she wants to explore the city," the love in her voice made my heart ache with sadness.

"Of course!" Linette led us into the kitchen and sat us down at the table. "I will go tomorrow and buy tickets for the plane ride. Pena, would you like to stay overnight with us?"

I couldn't believe the hospitality of this family. They were giving me plane ride _and_ a bed to sleep in for the night? "Would that be any trouble?"

Linette laughed. "No trouble at all, dear!"

Adeline looked up at me, her eyes pleading. "Please?" she asked.

I smiled. "As long as you're sure that it's no trouble…"

Adeline whooped and jumped up from the table, causing me to laugh—my first real laugh since Mama had died. The sorrow around me lessened a little bit, making room for an emotion that I hardly recognized: joy.

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New characters:

Adeline—passionate or fiery

Black hair, amber eyes, lightly tanned skin. Friendly; loves her _grand-maman_ more than anything in the world. Makes friends easily; very generous and kind-hearted.

Linette—grace

Silver hair, green eyes, skin tanned from working in the sun. Giving; will do anything for her granddaughter Adeline. Smiles and laughs often; reads a lot.

French definitions:

Tu t'appelles comment?: What's your name? (informal)

Tu parles français?: Do you speak French? (informal)

Grand-maman: grandma

Mére: mother

Note:

Yay! Pena's life is getting better! –dances around happily–

So I had to find a way to get Pena to Venice pretty quick, because I think that you all were getting tired of her always walking and then sleeping and then crying and then walking some more. So Adeline and her wonderful grandma Linette were made!

What do you think? Tell me in a review! Because "Reviews are groovy gravy!"

Got that? Review. Please!

'Kay, bye!

~Elissa~


	7. Chapter 6

I woke up the next day to the smell of pancakes. My confusion about where I was only lasted for a few seconds before I bolted out of bed and threw on a shirt from my bag and the extra pair of jeans. Then I grabbed the pajamas that Linette had let me borrow and rushed into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Pena!" Adeline looked up from the pancakes she was making and smiled at me.

"Morning, Adeline," I smiled back. "Where would you like me to put these?" I gestured to the pajamas.

"Just put them on the washing machine. It's over there," Adeline nodded towards a door behind me. After I did, I returned to the kitchen to help with breakfast.

"_Grand-maman_ just went to go buy airplane tickets for us. She should be back here in a few hours."

I looked down at Adeline. "Thank you," I murmured. "For letting me sleep over."

"It was fun!" Adeline laughed, and I agreed that it was.

We finished making the pancakes and then sat at the table and ate them. My hungry belly thanked me as it was filled. Afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen and played board games, then went outside.

Linette owned a small stretch of property that included a small pond surrounded by a few trees. Adeline and I ran around and then climbed trees until her grandma came back home.

"Adeline, Pena!" we heard Linette calling us and we ran back to the house, laughing breathlessly.

"We're here!" Adeline tripped over a small branch and fell, still laughing. I snickered and helped her up.

At that moment, her grandma appeared. She smiled at us and held up an envelope that contained the tickets.

Adeline and I ran in circles around her, chanting "Yay!" while Linette laughed.

"We just need passports, and then we leave tomorrow!"

"Passports?" I stopped jumping and Adeline crashed into me.

"Yes, dear. Do you have a passport?"

"No, ma'am." Sadness flared in me. I had been so close to getting to Venice…

"Then we will just have to get you one!"

Again I was struck by how kind Adeline and Linette were. "Thank you," I looked at both of them.

"You're welcome, Pena!" Adeline grinned.

"Adeline, dear, can you go put these inside for me please?" Linette asked. Her granddaughter nodded and took the envelope. When Adeline had gone inside, her grandmother turned to me. "Pena, why are you going to Venice?"

I froze. "My Mama… she was born there. And, um, I wanted to see what it was like."

Linette frowned. "I know about your brother, _Emelyn_."

Emelyn. Not my name anymore. I looked up at Linette. "My name is Pena now. It describes me more."

Her eyes showed her pity for me. "Does Adeline know? About your brother?"

"He's not my brother anymore!" I said forcefully. Then I calmed down and murmured, "No, she doesn't know. Not yet, anyway." I glanced up at her. Linette looked like she was thinking hard.

"You need to change how you look, Pena. That way he won't recognize you. There are posters up with your picture on them. He's giving out a reward for you."

Surprise kindled in me. "You're not going to turn me in?"

Linette looked surprised as well. "Heavens, no! Anyone whose brother offers a reward for probably should be running."

My eyes once again filled with tears. "Thank you. It means so much to me."

Linette just smiled, "We'd better get Adeline and go into town. We need to get you a haircut and a passport." She took my hand and gently led me inside her house.

-----------

Note:

Linette found out about Pena! DUN DUN DUUUUUN! Well, at least that her brother is offering a reward for her. –le gasp– He's a jerk.

Yeah. But Adeline and Linette are nice, right? Tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 7

I still do not own _The Thief Lord_.

_Oh, no. No, no, no. Why did I ever agree to this?_ I stared at the hairdresser, who held a pair of scissors and a can of hairspray.

I could hear Adeline smothering her giggles at my expression, but I was too busy freaking out to care.

_It's okay, Pena. It's so that Scuro can't ever find you. Just go with it._ My hands were sweating as I sat in the chair at the salon in town.

I took a deep breath and let it out. Then I murmured, "Ready."

The hairdresser nodded and started working. I closed my eyes tightly and listened to the gentle _snip, snip, snip_ of the scissors.

_What if it looks terrible?_ I thought, panicking slightly. Another part of my mind soothed me. _It's just hair. It will grow back._

_Snip, snip, snip._

My fingers drummed nervously on the arm of the chair. I felt the hairdresser brushing my hair out and heard her humming softly. My hands shook and I sat frozen, paralyzed in my fear.

_Snip, snip._

_Almost done…_ I thought. _She's got to be almost done._

_Snip._

_Come on, come on…_ When the hairdresser took off the cloth that covered my clothes, I opened my eyes. I was facing away from the mirror, towards Linette and Adeline. The two smiled admiringly and clapped when they saw my hair.

"Pena, see for yourself!" Adeline jumped up and down and pointed at the mirror behind me.

I turned around and caught sight of my reflection. The stranger in the mirror copied my every move. I gasped and ran my fingers through my hair.

It had been cut to about shoulder-length and was now a lighter brown. My bangs, which had been completely grown out, were now shorter and lay on one side of my head. My hair was beautiful, and different. I doubted that Scuro would recognize me if he saw me.

I got up out of my chair and ran over to hug Adeline and Linette. My head felt lighter now, and I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair again. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I heard myself say.

Linette smiled at me and went to pay at the front desk while Adeline and I squealed excitedly about my new haircut before following Adeline's grandma out of the door.

Next we went to a small clothing store, where Adeline and Linette piled clothes into my arms and made me try them on.

"You're buying clothes for me?" my disbelief made me dizzy.

Adeline just grinned and handed me another pair of jeans. "It's obvious that _grand-maman_ really likes you, Pena," she whispered.

"But she's spending a lot of money on me!"

"Yep! What's wrong with that?"

"I can't pay her back-"

"Don't even _think_ about paying her back, Pena," Adeline's face grew serious.

"But-"

"_No_."

I pouted. "Fine."

Adeline smiled and threw a striped shirt at me. "Good," she smirked.

I sighed quietly and tried on the clothes before deciding on two pairs of jeans, two t-shirts, a long-sleeved striped shirt, a new pair of tennis shoes, and a long black jacket.

I staggered under the weight of my new clothes and Adeline laughed so hard that tears filled her eyes. I stuck my tongue out at her, but laughed as well.

"You girls are so silly," Linette's voice sounded from behind us. We whirled around.

"We're getting it out of our systems before we go to Venice tomorrow," Ena answered sweetly. Linette tweaked her nose.

"Now we're going to go get a passport for you, Pena," she turned to me.

"Yes ma'am," Adeline and I chorused.

-----------

Note:

Pena's going to get a passport! And she got a haircut! –grins–

I will explain the whole part where Pena freaked out about getting a haircut later. I promise!

But I will only continue if you review.


	9. Author's Note Numero Dos

Author Note Numero Dos

Alright, sorry about the whole "I'm not uploading hahaha" thing—my computer has problems with the website or something. =( But I've found a new way to upload that works better!

The only problem is that I need to know what everyone thinks about Prop/Hornet and Scip/OC. I have a poll on my page and I would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes and vote—that would make my uploads come in a lot faster!

Thanks!  
~Elissa~


	10. Chapter 8

_The Thief Lord_ is not mine. But its characters will appear in the story soon. I promise!

We drove to the nearest post office and waited in line in front of the passport desk. When it was our turn, we sat in three plastic chairs and waited for the man that sat there until he handed us a stack of papers for us to fill them out. Linette thanked him warmly and handed some to me to fill out. "You need a last name," she whispered to me.

"Such as?" I asked.

"I don't know. Make one up."

I thought for a while. _What name should I choose? Definitely something different from my former last name, Hayman._ I tapped my chin. _Something that isn't too unique._

My face brightened suddenly and I signed the paper _Pena Lucius_ with a flourish. _Perfect,_ I thought.

Linette caught my eye and gave me a small smile. "Are you done, Pena?"

"I think so."

The man at the desk took the papers from me and glanced over them before nodding and gesturing to a chair in front of a screen to my right. "Sit over there and I'll take your picture," he told me. I complied and smiled at the camera. "Thank you. Your passport will come in a few days. Next, please," he monotoned as we stepped away from the desk.

The next few days flew past as I enjoyed spending time with Adeline and Linette. We prepared for our trip by packing our bags and finding someone to care for the house while we were gone, all the while laughing and teasing each other. I felt myself grow to be a part of this family, though I knew that I would have to leave them when we got to Venice. A runaway such as I was no company for two such generous, kind people, and I knew as much.

I also knew that those days were the happiest I'd had since Mama died, and it made me love Adeline and Linette even more. Their family had plenty of money from Adeline's parents' successful jobs, and they gave me so much… I knew that I was forever in their debt, for taking me in, flying me to Venice, buying me clothes and a haircut, getting me a passport, and above all else, lessening my sorrow.

My passport arrived in the mail three days after we had gone to the postal office for it. I felt a flood of excitement cover me as I thought, _Tomorrow we go to Venice!_

I could see that Linette and Adeline were as excited as I was when they spoke of our trip. Adeline's eyes would sparkle in delight and her face would shine, and Linette would smile widely and laugh more freely whenever Venice was mentioned.

I didn't know if they understood that I wouldn't be staying with them in Venice, but I decided to mention it later, not wanting to spoil their fun as we planned where we would go.

That night, Adeline and I were in our beds, talking about how much fun Venice would be.

"We can ride in gondolas, and eat pasta, and visit the Bridge of Sighs, and visit Saint Marcos Square, and-"

"Slow down!" I laughed. "You'll plan the whole trip!"

I saw Adeline roll her eyes in the little bit of light. "And we have to watch out for pickpockets," she sounded like seeing a pickpocket would be the most exciting thing of all.

"The pickpockets probably won't bother us, Adeline."

Adeline pouted.

"They'll probably focus on other tourists," I shrugged.

"I don't know. I think it would be an adventure to see a pickpocket. Oh! What if _we_ were pickpockets?"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "That doesn't sound very good. I'm not a thief."

"Neither am I, but think how exhilarating it would be!"

I sighed. "Yeah," I finally admitted. I heard Adeline begin to snore softly. "Yeah, it would be exciting."

-----------

Note:

Next chapter: Pena, Adeline, and Linette get to Venice!

Okay, so I got a PM saying some nasty things about my poor little Pena. Such as "shez a mary-sue" and "shez stupid" and "she shud like die." I would very much appreciate someone sending me a list of traits of a Mary-Sue, so that I may compare my beloved character to the despised Mary-Sue. Then I will be able to clarify that poor, scared Pena is not a twisted creature or a reincarnation of myself into a fanfic for my own romantic purposes. –rolls eyes–

I have posted my email address so that those without accounts can send me story requests. Hopefully that will help out a bit!

Reviews are amazing! So review. Because then, you're amazing, too. RHYMING IS FUN!


	11. Chapter 9

_The Thief Lord_ is by Cornelia Funke. I am not Cornelia Funke. Therefore, _The Thief Lord_ is not mine.

_My footsteps were almost silent as I crept through the shadows. I focused on the shape ahead of me, the figure that moved confidently through the darkness. I silently cursed my own caution and sped up a bit so that I could keep up with the figure. I tried to avoid the small puddles of water from the last storm, but I stepped in one and heard a small _splash_. I held my breath and moved further into the shadows._

_The shape spun around, its eyes raking through the darkness. The eyes seemed to rest on me, and I pressed my back closer to the wall, but after a while, the figure turned around and walked in the way that it had come. I heaved a quiet sigh of relief._

_But the shape cast one last glance over its shoulder, and I saw it clearly in the faint light of the crescent moon._

_It was a male, definitely. His hair glinted in the moonlight, and narrowed eyes seemed to smolder with a demonic fire._

_My heart stopped beating. I knew him._

_He seemed to listen carefully._

_I trembled, trying not to whimper in terror._

_He turned around and walked back in my direction._

No, please, don't come over here… _I begged him silently. But my pleas had no effect on him, for he kept moving towards me._

_I wanted to run, to scream, to fight him off, but I couldn't move. My feet wouldn't listen to me. I had no control anymore._

"_I know that you're there, Emelyn," his voice made me shake even more violently. "It's not wise to hide."_

_I couldn't breathe. My lungs contracted until I doubted their existence._

_He chuckled. "We played hide and seek often when we were children. You never were any good at hiding. I doubt you're any better now"_

_I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening._

"_I'll find you eventually, Emelyn," his voice whispered, malicious amusement dripping from each word. "There's no point in hiding."_

_I shuddered and pressed closer to the wall, my only safety. He was running out of patience, and I knew it._

"_Come out, Emelyn."_

No. I will not_, I thought desperately._

"_Nothing to fear," there was a venomous tone behind his kind words, warning me to obey. He reached out into the shadows, searching for me. My legs nearly gave way and my mouth parted in a silent scream. "Come out, Emelyn," he purred, a sneer twisting his face._

_I thought I heard a voice, but immediately dismissed it as being the wind. I couldn't be distracted by anything. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to become invisible. A hand brushed over my shoulder and I found my voice at the same moment. I screamed loud enough to wake the dead._

A hand shot over my mouth, and out of instinct, I bit it hard. Then I heard a small cry a familiar voice call, "Pena! It's me!"

"Adeline?" my blurry eyes opened.

"What do you dream about, being attacked by giant waffles?" Adeline released my shoulder and cradled her right hand in her left.

"No," I lowered my head.

After a while, Adeline sighed and asked, "Have you forgotten what today is?"

Shaking my head, I rubbed my tired eyes. Then I sat upright and smacked my forehead. "We're leaving today, aren't we?"

"Finally!" Adeline tossed her head in exasperation.

"When do we leave?"

"In an hour. You need to eat breakfast and get ready. _Grand-maman_ and I are ready to go already!"

"I'll be ready soon," I promised her. "Sorry about your hand."

Adeline nodded and smiled before leaving the room.

About an hour later, I was ready at the door. The suitcase that I had borrowed stood beside me, filled with my new clothes and other little necessities like toothpaste and band-aids.

Adeline waltzed over and sat next to me. She spotted the band-aids and laughed.

"Hey, I'm being cautious. Don't judge me," I shot her a glare, though I wore a smile on my face.

Adeline held up her hands in denial and laughed.

"Ready to go?" Linette appeared beside us. We nodded and rushed out the door into the car.

The airport was busier than I had thought it would be, and my fear of being found was reiterated. _Please, please, don't let anyone recognize me…_ I prayed silently.

"Here. This is our flight," Linette pointed to a large terminal with a few people sitting in it. The three of us sat down in a row of seats facing the hallway from which we had come. The people walking by paid no attention to us, and Adeline and I made up a game to try to see what kind of person each one was.

"See the lady with the baby stroller?" Adeline leaned towards me and murmured softly.

"The one talking on her cell phone?"

"Yes. She looks like she needs a nap," Adeline giggled softly.

"And the kid over there? With the light hair, by the display board," I motioned subtly with my head.

"Yes."

"He needs a haircut. Seems like he's homeless. Probably didn't even get a decent meal today," I realized that I would have been like that but for Adeline and Linette's kindness.

"Poor boy. See the tall guy, pacing in front of the other terminal? Dark hair, dark skin?"

My eyes skimmed over the crowds, searching… there. "Yeah? What about him?"

"He's creepy," Adeline whispered.

I kept my eyes fixed on the man. _I know him…but from where?_

The man turned so that I could see his face. I froze, eyes wide. _He killed my mother,_ the thought hit me and I flinched away from the memory.

"Pena?" Adeline sounded worried, and I realized that she had been calling my name for a while now.

"S-sorry. Just thinking," I stuttered, looking down quickly.

Adeline didn't look convinced, and she and her grandmother exchanged a confused glance. I tried to give them a convincing smile, but I doubted that the result was cheering at all.

"Oh. All right, then," Adeline's voice sounded wary.

At that moment, we heard our flight being called and we stood before shuffling into the line to get onto the plane.

When we had gotten to our seats and gotten comfortable, I felt my eyelids droop. I yawned and squirmed in the soft seat before closing my eyes.

"Excuse me, miss," I heard a voice. My eyes flew open and I looked a few rows in front of our seats.

The man was pushing past a girl who looked eighteen, trying to get into the seat next to her. She gave him an icy look and stood, allowing him to pass her. Then she sat back down and waited for the plane to take off.

_The killer was coming with us to Venice._

-----------

Note:

Didn't expect THAT, did you? MUAHAHA! Sorry. =)

Anyways….. Please review!

~Elissa~


	12. Chapter 10

_The Thief Lord_ does not belong to me. Nor do I ever expect it to. Not saying that I don't wish it did...

I heard someone sit in the seat beside me, and I glanced behind me to see Adeline rubbing her eyes and smiling slightly. "Hey," her words were slightly slurred in her drowsiness.

"Hey," I answered.

"How did you sleep?"

"I slept pretty well. You?"

"Fine," she stared at me. "You talk in your sleep, Pena."

"Oh?" My worry hit me full force.

"It wasn't on the plane. It was while you were 'dreaming about giant waffles'."

I hesitated, pondering on the different responses available. Then I finally asked, "What did I say?"

Her eyes held my gaze. "Something about 'Scuro' and 'don't hurt me'." Adeline furrowed her brow slightly and asked, "Pena, who's Scuro?"

My breath caught in my throat, and I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. After a while, I managed to croak, "Scuro… is—was—my brother. He threw me out of the house after our mother died." I took a deep breath and began telling Adeline about everything that had occurred before I had met her.

Adeline didn't interrupt as I told my tale, and her expression stayed the same through the whole story. When I was finished, she asked, "So you're going to Venice to escape your brother?"

"What I told you about my mother being born there was true, and I did want to explore, but exploration wasn't my main goal in my trip."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to involve anyone else. It's dangerous, Adeline. You must see that."

The desperation in my voice rang out to her. "How dangerous is it?"

"Dangerous enough to worry about twelve-year-olds that try to get involved," I answered sternly.

"I'm not scared," Adeline held her head high.

"It's not your life that's dangerous," I reminded her softly.

She pondered for a while, until she finally concluded, "I guess you're right. I just wish you had told the truth."

When I opened my mouth to argue, she corrected herself, "The _entire_ truth."

I glowered at her, feeling defeated by the world. "I didn't think that the _entire_ truth was relevant at that time."

"Well, it was, Pena. The truth is always relevant."

"I know," I sighed.

Adeline studied me for a while before nodding. "Well, I suppose you're going to leave as soon as you can," sadness colored her tone.

"I have to," I wished that she could understand, but I knew that it was impossible. No one would understand the deep pain and longing that I knew personally. For one to experience such raw sadness, the emotions must hit them like a numbing arrow through the heart, then the infection would start. The feelings would fester inside for a while, brewing in the dark. Eventually, the wounds would heal, but they would leave ragged scars that would stay for life. _Do my emotions leave me scarred, unable to heal?_ I wondered.

"I wish you could stay," Adeline sighed.

"So do I, Adeline. So do I," I hugged her tightly and we stayed there for a while, our thoughts staying to their own person.

---------------

Author Note:  
Okay, I promise that I will introduce the gang next chapter!!!!!!! But I really need feedback for Prop/Hornet and Scip/OC (Scip/Pena or Scip/Adeline? Just kidding... Adeline's, like, twelve). So yeah.


	13. Chapter 11

No, I'm not dead. =) And I still don't own _The Thief Lord._

* * *

When the plane landed, I knew that I needed to be on my guard for the killer. I was determined that I would leave Adeline and Linette at the hotel and find a place to sleep first. I would need all of my strength to make sure I survived on my own.

_There has to be a good place for me to stay_. My brow furrowed and doubt bombarded me. _I can't have made it this far to not find a place to stay._

On the way to the hotel, no one spoke. The sadness that would soon color the air hung between us and made conversation difficult. I cringed, knowing that this was my doing, but Linette seemed to guess my thoughts. She smiled and patted my knee gently, trying to reassure me, but I saw the sorrow hidden in her eyes.

_I'm sorry,_ I tried to say, but no words emerged from my mouth. Linette turned to stare ahead again.

When we got to the hotel, I put my bag on my back, gave Adeline and Linette both a hug, and set off, trying not to look back.

My first stop was St. Marks. My mother had told me that it was one of the most important parts of the city, and now I understood why—it was huge! There were so many people there—citizens, tourists, and musicians—and it was so easy to blend in.

I looked up at the tops of the buildings, spinning slowly. Some of the people around me watched, laughing, until I bumped into someone.

"_Ehi! Guardare dove lei va!_"

"_Scusarsi. Sono spiacente__,_" I held up my hands against the large lady's vicious glare. She _hmph_ed and I walked away, my child-like wonder silenced. _Back to business._

I pushed my way to the edge of the plaza and studied some of the alleyways that joined onto it. _Now I know what it feels like to buy a house. Well… not really._

I smirked a little at the thought, then froze as the lady I'd bumped into screamed, "_Stop, thief!_"

I whirled around to see her shaking a finger at me. _What? I didn't do anything!_ My mind was thinking slower than my feet, and I started running down one of the alleys. _Not good, Pena, not good at all!_

I cursed under my breath. I didn't steal anything!

"Are you just going to stand there?" a deep voice called from behind me. I jumped and turned to see a boy watching me coolly. He wore a long black coat and a frightening mask, as well as a haughty smirk at my surprise. "Come on, the _police_ are following you. Follow me."

I didn't even stop to ask if I should trust him—I bolted after him. He put a finger to his lips, telling me that silence was important to my survival, and whisked around the corner of a building.

"What—"

"Shh!" he interrupted me. Then he took off down the alley, not stopping to make sure I followed him.

I looked behind me and followed, struggling to catch up with him. When he paused, I whispered, "Who are you?"

I fully expected him to shush me again, but he answered, "Another orphan. You are an orphan, aren't you?" I nodded and he continued, "And you need a place to stay? Somewhere safe?"

"Yes."

He turned around and I ducked to avoid the beak on his mask. He studied me and I stared back. I didn't feel that it was a very fair contest—that mask made me nervous—but after a while, he dipped his head and whispered, "Alright. I'll take you to our… uh, _their_ hideout."

I cocked an eyebrow, but he just sighed and walked a few steps more. He looked back at me where I stood and crossed his arms. "Come on, I'm not going to kidnap you." He sounded exasperated.

"I know that," I retorted.

"You can trust me," he sounded sad. "It's okay. The people inside are—were—my friends. You can trust them too."

I met his eyes once again. Was that regret in their black depths? He dropped my gaze and looked away, but stopped when he heard my voice. "All right."

He turned around like a dog that had been invited on a walk. He shot me a small, almost timid, smile and knocked on the door. Then he sped toward me. He pushed something into my hand and whispered, "The password's ravens' wings."

I nodded, and he brushed past me, going the other way. "What about you?" I asked, confused.

"I'm not welcome here anymore." His shoulders slumped, but he kept walking. He disappeared right before I heard a voice growl, "Password?"

"Ravens' wings," I answered.

The door swung open and I braced myself for a bunch of adults, but the door opened to reveal a boy, shorter than me, with spiky hair. He gawked at me, and I gawked back.

Finally he broke the silence. "Who're you?"

"Pena."

"How'd you know the password?"

I glanced around, expecting the other boy to appear. When he didn't, I shrugged.

The boy turned around to talk to someone behind him. "She knew the password," he whispered. Then he nodded, stepping back.

Another boy took his place. He was taller than the spiky-haired boy, and he had longer brown hair. "Hello," he murmured.

"Hi."

"Do you need help?"

I nodded, and he stepped back from the door to let me enter. Then he motioned for me to follow him and began walking down the hall.

At the end of the hallway, I stopped, staring wonder-struck, at the next room. It looked like an old movie theater, with a star-covered curtain and the kind of chairs that make you want to crawl into them and fall asleep.

"Hurry up!"

I turned to see the spiky-haired boy behind me, looking impatient, and I walked tentatively into the magnificent room.

* * *

Author note:  
I'm baaaaaacccckk! Finally my computer works!!!! Yay. And I have another Thief Lord story that I'll publish soon. =)  
So did anyone catch the Thief Lord? And Riccio and Prosper too! (The rest of the gang will be introduced next chapter.)

Translations:  
Ehi! Guardare dove lei va!--Hey! Watch where you're going!  
Scusarsi. Sono spiacente.--Excuse me. I'm sorry.

~Elissa~


	14. Author's Note Threeeee!

Author Note

All right, I hate author notes too. So I'll make this fast.

I'm starting to lose interest in updating because of the lack of reviews I'm getting for the story. I have the rest of _LitD_ almost finished and I'm prepared to post it, but I'd like to know that people want me to continue posting, so… Yeah. Please, please, please review. I've even made sure that people without accounts can review!

And I would really apreciate people taking a minute to vote on my page. I can only slightly progress in the story if I don't get some reviews.

Thanks!  
~Elissa~


	15. Chapter 12

I do not own _The Thief Lord_. No tantrum will ever give me rights to _The Thief Lord._

It wasn't the most elegant room I'd ever seen, but it still took my breath away. I stared, open-mouthed, and tried to take it all in at once. I felt the boy behind me step around me, but I ignored him.

"Hornet!" A small, golden-haired boy popped up from behind one of the seats. The little angel spotted me and asked, "Where's Hornet, Prosper?"

"She's still out shopping," the dark-haired boy—Prosper—answered.

"Oh." The littlest one bounced over and tackled me. "I'm Bo," he chirped, holding out one hand. "Who're you?"

"I'm Pena. Nice to meet you, Bo." I smiled and extended a hand, only to realize that I still clutched whatever the masked boy had given me.

Bo shook my hand anyway, but I stared at the small purse. _Where have I seen this before?_ I wondered.

And then I recognized it and dropped it as if it had burned me.

"What is it?" Prosper asked, seeming confused.

"That's… that's the lady's purse," I murmured, my eyes wide. "I bumped into her, and she called me a thief, but I didn't take it, I promise! Some boy gave it to me before I got in here!"

The other three were quiet, their eyes on me. After a short silence, Prosper cleared his throat and spoke. "Well," he began. "Maybe you should give it back to her, and explain—"

"She can't!" the boy with spiky hair interrupted.

"Riccio." Prosper shot him a glance.

"The police will probably take fingerprints, and then they'll find us!" He glanced at me, something like respect in his gaze, and added, "I say we keep it. How much is in there, anyway?"

Bo picked up the purse and counted the bills inside. "About three thousand _lire_," he called.

"See? That's not much." Riccio stared at Prosper.

Prosper shot a long look at me. "Okay," he said finally. "But you should know that we're not thieves here. Well, Riccio, but he's stopped." He looked back at Riccio, one eyebrow raised. "At lease, I think he's stopped."

Riccio gave him a cheeky smile before bowing and retreating further into the room.

Prosper shook his head and muttered something under his breath, but stopped when he saw Bo watching him.

"Aren't you going to show her around?" Riccio called. I saw him reclining on a mattress, flipping through a comic book. "Since you seem to have taken over all of Scipio's jobs—well, most of them." Was his tone darkened by bitterness or disgust?

"Who's Scipio?" I asked softly.

Prosper seemed not to hear me. He gestured to the mattresses pushed up against the wall. "That's my bed, there's Bo's, Mosca's is over there, Riccio's on his, and Hornet's is the one surrounded by books."

Someone knocked—once, twice—on the door and Bo skipped toward it, but halted at Prosper's withering glare.

Prosper pushed past Bo and stepped up to the door. "Password?"

"Ravens' wings," someone answered.

"She's back." Riccio pushed past me. I wondered if that was a bad habit of his.

"Can we get some _help_, hedgehog?" a boy's voice grumped from the hallway. A tall boy with shadow-black skin emerged; he was closely followed by a girl with a long, thin braid that hung down to her waist.

She rolled her eyes at Riccio. "Ever since I picked him up, it's like he thinks he's a grown-up." Her voice rasped slightly. Riccio grinned, even under the boy's dark glare.

"Hornet!" Bo ran over and threw his arms around the girl.

The tall boy shook his head. "Even Bo ignores me! It's like you brainwashed him while I was gone!" he complained. He set down his bags and crossed his arms.

"So, in the past two days?" Riccio raised his eyebrows. The other boy ignored him.

Bo smiled. "Mosca!"

"Better," Mosca said, smiling.

Hornet caught my eye and stiffened, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. She glanced at Prosper, confusion clearly written on her face. "Who's this?"

Prosper's eyes widened—he had clearly forgotten about me. "This is Pena," he muttered, his cheeks tinged bright red. I nodded and smiled faintly at them both.

Hornet nodded back and turned to Prosper. "How did she get in?" she whispered.

"She knew the password," Prosper responded. "Look at her, though. She looks worse than Bo and I did when we first got here. And we still have most of the Conte's money, so we can take care of her. Well, at least until she can take care of herself."

I gritted my teeth to keep an angry outburst from escaping my lips. _I can take care of myself _now_!_ I fumed silently.

A small hand slipping into mine interrupted my thoughts. I looked down to see Bo smiling angelically at me and I couldn't help but smile back. "Pena, come here," he whispered, his eyes sparkling.

"What is it?"

"I have to show you something!" He tugged on my arm and I shrugged at him, glancing at the others in the room before I was whisked out of the room.

Characters:  
(The characters from _The Thief Lord_ look just about the same as they did in the book/movie, just older. If there's anything major that changed, I will write about it!)

Note:  
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! I'm not dead, I promise! I had finals, then several camps, then I helped with VBS… and then I had a momentary laziness-lapse where I just didn't work. I apologize.  
Anyway… I'm baaaaaccckk! If anyone is confused about the story setting, email/PM me. PLEASE. I'd be happy to explain!  
Thank you to all that reviewed! Those reading this story, please join them and review. Please.

~Elissa~


	16. Chapter 13

If I owned _The Thief Lord,_ I would have written it. And then it wouldn't be as good. Therefore, I do not own _The Thief Lord._

Antonio wrinkled his nose at the city's stench, but kept his eyes on the single form that made its way across the vast plaza. He knew in the corner of his mind that he should be following her—it would be much easier to track her that way—but he enjoyed the chase, and had already decided to extend his stay in the city as long as he could.

He grunted and stretched his long legs out further underneath the table. _I deserve a vacation,_ he decided, _and this job will let me stall, so why not? I haven't relaxed in so long…_ He yawned and closed his eyes underneath his dark shades, a small, content smirk resting on his face.

Abruptly, his feet shot out from under him. Antonio sat up, nearly upsetting the small table before him. His fists shot up, but he stayed them when he saw the slim figure before him. He scrambled to stand up and felt his face flush. "Sir," he muttered, dropping his gaze.

"Do you know why you are here, Antonio?"

Antonio cringed. The words his employer purred were smooth, but he knew his employer was furious. "Yes, sir. I—"

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to track down your target… sir."

"Precisely. Are you here to sleep?"

"No, sir."

"Are you here to relax?"

"No, sir."

"Then why are you lying down on the job?" His voice suddenly turned icy, and his eyes flashed.

Antonio didn't answer. His employer might be young, but Antonio still felt unnerved by the young man's gaze.

The young man bent down until he was nose-to-nose with Antonio. "Don't disappoint me," he snarled.

"I won't, sir." Antonio felt a chill run down his back.

"I know you won't." The young man's mouth twisted into a smirk. "Do you know why I know you won't?"

Antonio didn't answer; he felt rooted to the spot by the young man's hate-crazed blue eyes.

"I know because I will be staying here in Venice while you track her."

vVvVvVv

Bo took two steps for each of mine as he pulled me up a stairway in the corner of the room. I bent over a little to make up for the difference in height between us, but he didn't slow. When he paused, I stumbled to keep myself from bowling him over.

"Close your eyes," he whispered loudly. I grinned and complied. I heard him open a door and felt a cool breeze whip around my face.

"Bo?" I called uncertainly.

"Open 'em!" he shouted.

I let my eyelids snap open, but felt my eyes immediately water as dazzling light shone around me. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I looked at my surroundings and felt my jaw drop. "Wow," I managed after a pause.

We stood on the roof of the building; golden light illuminated the small alcove behind us. Glancing out before me, I saw the sunset's first light; the clouds absorbed the blood-red light and reflected on the windows of other buildings.

Bo giggled and clapped his hands at my awestruck expression. "Do you like it?" he asked, grinning madly.

I nodded, my eyes still wide. "How did you find this place?"

Bo's smile faded a little. "We didn't."

I raised an eyebrow at him, curious.

"It's a long story."

His short answers were only increasing my curiosity. I nodded, silently pleading for him to go on.

He shook his head. "Come on, we should get you back to the others," he muttered, grabbing my arm again.

I can feel my eyebrows dip and I silently vow to find out what it is that Bo is keeping from me.

Characters:  
Antonio  
Meaning: invaluable  
Appearance: tall, dark-haired, dark-skinned, brown eyes

Note:  
I'm back! Sorry, I just got back from vacation, and I couldn't write while I was there…  
Anyway, I got back and found out that the computer ate everything I'd written past the last chapter. So I'm just writing it again.  
Please review!  
~Elissa~


	17. Chapter 14

I don't own _The Thief Lord._ I own the characters that weren't in the book or the movie and the plot of this story, nothing more.

Antonio glared irritably into the shadows across from him, throwing a small stone at the alley wall. His eyes narrowed at the small _plop_ that echoed around him when it hit the water of a small puddle.

"She _has_ to be in there," he snarled. "She couldn't just disappear…" He looked up at the broken sign above his head. "Stella, eh?" he smirked, his eyes roving over the ruined theatre and then he shook his head.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his dark hair, wincing when his fingers were caught in a tangle and he yelped before gently extracting them.

A sound made him start and he whipped his head around, eyes wide. The sound—which sounded suspiciously like a snicker—echoed around him again and he stood up, his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

"Who's there?" he called, not quite stilling the tremble in his voice. No one answered, but Antonio was _sure_ that someone was watching him. He scanned around himself before strolling out of the alley, hoping that his pace wasn't fast enough to tell whoever was watching him that he was afraid.

His own shadow loomed up in front of him and he stopped short. Beside his shadow was another's shadow, inky black and seeming more ominous than his own.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Antonio reached into his belt and pulled out the knife he kept there. He gripped it in his fist and turned, prepared to strike at whoever was there.

Only the empty alleyway greeted his eyes. Antonio blinked rapidly, his brow furrowing.

He turned again, but the other shadow was gone. Antonio made a sign against evil and put away his knife, shaking his head in disgust. "Your eyes are fooling you, Antonio," he growled softly. "You're seeing things."

The snicker repeated, and Antonio fled as if the alley had caught fire.

vVvVvVv

I sat up, my eyesight blurry. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned, squinting into the darkness around me.

Something creaked and I froze, listening. I didn't hear anything else, but now I was wide-awake. I stood, making sure I didn't disturb the others where they sprawled on other mattresses around the biggest room. I slowly made my way across the room and toward the stairway beside the main doorway.

I crept up the stairs and opened the door, relieved that it didn't squeak. After I'd closed the door, I turned and sat down near the edge of the roof. The stars shone brightly above me and I smiled faintly, amazed by Venice's beauty.

A voice brought me back to reality and I stood slowly. I crept into one of the many shadows on the roof and listened.

"Who's there?" someone called from in front of me, sounding nervous.

_Not Scuro,_ I thought, relieved. I was about to go see who it was, but the voice growled quietly. The person paused before I heard footsteps speeding away.

A soft laugh came from around the corner from me and I stiffened. I pressed my back to the wall behind me and held my breath.

Whisper-soft footsteps approached me and I bit my tongue, remembering the nightmare I'd had on the plane.

This time, it would be different. My eyes narrowed and I shifted into an easier position to attack whoever came around the corner. I turned my head to my right and watched as a shadow appeared. It turned its head and my eyes widened in surprise.

The shadow had a _beak?_

Someone rounded the corner and my fist hit something solid. The beaked shape gave a startled cry and stepped back.

I didn't give up any ground when the shape looked back up at me. I simply stood where I was, trying to gauge their next move.

"Bo?" they hissed, sounding confused and angry.

"Who are you?" I hissed back, feeling emboldened by their use of my new friend's name.

A pause followed my question. Then: "Who wants to know?"

"_I_ do."

I could see the shape smirking. "And who are you?"

"Who wants to know?" I scoffed, stepping out of the shadow.

The shape stared at me before removing its beak—

_Ah, a mask._ I relaxed a bit.

"So I see they took you in," the shape—the dark-haired boy who had led me to Prop and his friends—remarked, lifting his chin and looking down his nose at me.

I didn't answer, but mirrored his stare, smirking as I beheld his already bruised eye.

He glared at me, folding his arms. "You have an… unusual… way to say thank you."

My smirk grew. "You're welcome."

He shook his head, growling something about gratitude, and turned away.

"You never did tell me your name," I commented, raising my eyebrows at him.

He didn't turn. "You didn't share yours, either, did you?"

"Touché."

This time, he did turn back to look at me. "I don't give out my name very often," he answered coolly, his eyes now on mine.

"Nor do I."

He smiled slightly, looking pleased at my answer. Then he stuck out his hand. "Scipio."

I shook his hand and replied, "Pena."

He dipped his head, looking over my shoulder at the door into the Stella. "So… how is everyone?" he asked shyly.

Curiosity made me ask, "Why aren't you… welcome there anymore?"

"I…" Scipio looked away. "I wasn't a good friend, I guess."

I cocked an eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate.

"I lied to them—about who I was. I don't think they ever really forgave me."

"Oh."

He turned away and nodded silently, looking ashamed. I didn't ask anything else, but a wave of sudden exhaustion flooded over me and made me yawn.

Scipio glanced at me, a small smirk turning up the corners of his lips. "You should probably go back to sleep, Pena."

Normally, I would have argued, but he said it so gently and I was just so tired that I just nodded and turned toward the door.

"Good-night," Scipio called softly after me.

"'Night," I answered, stumbling slowly down the stairs and onto my mattress. Dreamless slumber overtook me, cradling me in soft, cloud-like arms, and I didn't wake until the next morning.

Author's Note:  
Hello again, readers! Thank you for bearing with me while I adjusted for school!  
As you probably have guessed by now, I am not dead. I've had a rough couple of months—a family death and school starting—but I am back and I'm ready to work on this fanfic!  
Two things would make me very happy right now: 1) Reviews! They make life soooo much more enjoyable, and they let my audience communicate with me. Reviews are little reminders that you guys want me to keep writing, so… please, review.  
2) I would really appreciate a few members of who wouldn't mind Beta reading my story for errors… I don't always see things that I do wrong, and more eyes would help me immensely. Thanks!

Special thanks to:  
abbsy, ash, InkWeaverabc, Olivia Call, Sue, xXNeverThereXx, Hero in the making, Toolazytosignin, -, booklover221, Skylar, Piink (:, dancingflutesquirrel, pleasedon'tstopwriting, Annonymous, , !\sammy/!, Jessie is Awesome, DanceCamilleDance, Carmel. (Carmykins), kittyz!, and (of course) Neverland child!  
(That looks really long, but it's the first time I've thanked you guys. Sorry, and thank you all!)


	18. Chapter 15

**I don't own it...**

**

* * *

**

"Pena…" A small voice called me, sounding incredibly familiar.

I felt my lips curl up slightly. _Scuro?_ I thought silently.

"Pena, wake up…" Someone's small finger prodded my forehead and my brow dipped in confusion.

"No, Bo—you wake her up like this." My pillow was yanked forcefully out from under me.

I bolted upright, a small cry on my lips. Bo stood in front of me, his eyes wide as he stared at the figure beside him.

_Riccio_.

I groaned and Riccio dumped the pillow unceremoniously on top of me, an innocent—although pleased—smirk on his face. He turned and walked away and I sighed, shaking my head at him.

Bo turned to follow him, but I stood and grabbed his sleeve. He looked surprised, but I motioned him over beside the staircase. "Bo, there was someone on the roof last night."

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak. "Uh," he mumbled.

My brow lifted and I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I went to go see who it was."

"I…"

"Bo," I murmured sternly, lifting my chin slightly to look down at him, "who's Scipio?"

His eyes widened more and he glanced around us, making sure none of the others had heard my voice. "Not here," he whispered after a small silence. "Wait until tonight. I'll let him tell you himself."

I had no choice but to consent, but I still wasn't satisfied.

vVvVvVv

"You _what?_"

Antonio cringed as the other man's voice rose to a roar and dropped his eyes to his feet. "She disappeared, I swear! She—"

"_I. Don't. Care._" Now the voice snarled the statement and crazed eyes bored deep into Antonio. "She _will_ be found—I don't care how long it takes!"

Antonio nodded, shivering slightly. "I promise, sir. I will find her."

"Good. Now go, and don't fail me." Antonio gave an awkward bow, turned tail, and exited the room. From behind him, he could hear his employer growling softly.

He still wasn't sure of the young man's sanity.

vVvVvVv

As soon as everyone else was asleep, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed across the floor to Bo's mattress. "Bo," I whispered, glancing around at the others.

He groaned softly and stirred. His eyes blinked open and he peered up at me. "Pena?" he asked, sounding sleepy.

"You promised to tell me about Scipio," I reminded him.

He rubbed his eyes, muttering something inaudible.

"What?"

"Nothing. Come on."

Bo's footsteps weren't as silent as Scipio's had been, but they were quiet enough that no one woke up as we went up the stairs. After we had gone through the door, he plopped down on a wooden crate and covered his eyes with his hands. I sat down beside him to wait.

We didn't have to wait long. Quiet laughter resonated from behind us and I whirled around to see Scipio removing his mask.

"You're not usually up this early, Bo. What's gotten into you?" His eyes sparkled with mischief and he smirked when Bo grumbled faintly. Then he turned toward me.

"She wants to hear your story, Scip," Bo yawned, blinking slowly.

Scipio's brow dipped and he looked down. "Why?" he asked simply.

I didn't answer. "I'll leave you to it, then," Bo slurred, dragging himself back toward the door and down the stairs before either of us could reply.

After an awkward pause, Scipio strode over to the wooden crate and seated himself. "Why do you want to know?" he asked again, his voice soft.

"I'm… curious, I guess," I answered finally.

"We all know what is said about curiosity and cats," Scipio murmured. "And—as I have often seen—cats often do die because of their curiosity."

"I'm not a cat," I pointed out.

He smiled and chuckled softly. "No," he agreed. "No, you're not."

I drew my legs in and crossed them in front of me, waiting for him to tell his tale.

And tell he did. He began his personal account of his father's cruelty, how he found Riccio and his friends, how he'd stolen to provide for them. He told me of how, three years ago, he'd found Bo and Prosper in an alleyway and led them to the Stella.

He shared about a magical merry-go-round and how it hadn't worked, about how he'd gone home disappointed and how his father had beaten him.

He'd run away, he said. He'd gotten sick of how his father was treating him and had cast off his last name.

"I followed the others for a while—I wanted to see if they would accept me again. I didn't want to go back if they resented me still."

A small, sad smile crept onto his lips as he continued, "Bo caught me one night. I wasn't paying attention and he was sitting up here. He acted as if I hadn't done anything wrong." The smile faded and he dropped his head. "It turns out that the others weren't as forgiving as he was. I told Bo not to tell any of the others about meeting me, and he didn't."

"But what happened while you were away? What happened to the merry-go-round, and the Conte, and Barbarossa?" I asked.

Scipio shrugged. "I never really thought about that," he said, pondering. "It just never seemed to matter to me."

We sat in silence for a while; my mind was slowly processing his story.

"You… You should probably get back," Scipio murmured, his dark eyes flickering to meet mine.

"But—"

"Pena." His voice grew stern and he lifted an eyebrow at me.

"Fine," I growled sulkily. He smiled and helped me up before turning away.

"_Ha dormito bene,_ Pena," he called softly after me.

A soft smile curled up my lips and I replied, "_Anche lei,_ Scipio. _Sicuro dormire a lei._"

He gave a small bow and vanished, leaving me alone, still reflecting on his tale._ We will meet again soon, Scipio_, I thought, gazing after him._ Your story isn't over yet._

* * *

**Italian Definitions:  
**_**ha dormito bene**_**—sleep well  
**_**anche lei**_**—you too  
**_**sicuro dormire a lei**_**—safe sleep to you**

**Author's Note:  
This chapter wasn't as fun as some of the others to write, mostly because I didn't really want to go over the story for all of you who have read the book but I needed to write about what changed from the book.  
Please, please, **_**please**_** review this for me… I need to figure out what I need to change about the story, and without my readers' input, the story will not turn out very well.**

**Special thanks to:  
InkWeaverabc, Neverland child (three reviews!), and Hero in the making  
Thank you all!**


	19. Chapter 16

Hello, fanfiction world! It's been a while, but surely you all remember that **I don't own anything** except Pena. And the clock mentioned.

* * *

I found that I couldn't sleep after Scipio left. After lying down on my mattress, tossing and turning for almost thirty minutes, and listening to Riccio snore the entire time, I got up and walked toward the kitchen. The small digital clock—a gift, or so Bo had told me—glowed eerily in the darkness. 5:45 am. At home, before my world collapsed, my mother would have been waking me up for school right now.

A small pang of grief thudded through me, but I pushed it away. _I can remember my parents without crying_, I thought, squaring my shoulders and pushing my pain behind me. I rifled around in the small refrigerator for something to eat before I had a brilliant idea: I could make breakfast for the others! I smiled triumphantly and began taking armfuls of food out and starting to work.

Right before I finished, I heard soft footfalls creeping into the kitchen. I turned, expecting Bo to be standing there, but I blinked when I saw Hornet.

"It smells good," she murmured, looking shy.

"Thanks," I replied.

We stood in silence for a while before she spoke again. "Are you…" I waited, and her words came out in a rush. "Are you doing this for Prop?"

I raised my eyebrows slightly. "Why would I be doing this for Prosper?"

She looked away and flushed brightly. "I don't know," she murmured quietly.

Smiling internally, I picked up a few plates and turned back toward her. "I'm not trying to impress Prop, Hornet. I promise." She raised her eyes to meet mine and I nodded toward the other plates. "Do you think you could help me with the other plates? I don't know where you all eat."

She grinned suddenly and picked up the other plates for me, leading the way to a small table behind the starry curtain. "Should I go wake the others up?" she asked. I nodded at her and adjusted the plates.

The others were awake in record time, each responding incredibly well to the word "breakfast." They gathered around the table and we ate the mountains of pancakes and eggs perched precariously between us. Soon we were all laughing and talking to each other, feeling relaxed.

Well, feeling relaxed until Riccio said something about the feasts they used to have with Scipio. Dead silence greeted his words and I realized that both Prosper's and Mosca's fists were clenched on the table as if they were trying to strangle something—or someone.

I feigned ignorance. "Who's Scipio?"

Hornet's eyes met Prosper's and they seemed to be communicating silently. I'd almost given up when Prosper spoke, "I guess we will have to tell you, Pena—since Riccio seems intent on bringing the matter up." Riccio glared at him, but didn't speak. "Scipio was once our leader." Both Riccio and Mosca snorted; Hornet shot them a look that silenced them.

"To be fair, he _did_ lead us here. His father owned this place, so he let us stay here." I nodded—Scipio had told me the same. "But he lied to us. He made us believe that he was a great thief, another orphan like the rest of us."

Prosper went on to tell me very nearly the same tale Scipio had, and he and the others—minus Bo—sat in stony silence, glaring into space. When Prop had finished, we were all still until Bo broke the silence.

"Well," he said quietly, raising his glass full of orange juice and taking a long swig of it, "I still don't think it's his fault."

Prosper gave him a look. "Yes, my brother always has looked up to Scipio."

"You were glad of him when we first came to Venice," Bo shot back.

Prosper stood and turned away from us. I spoke up hesitantly, "What happened to Scipio after the merry-go-round?"

"He left," Prosper answered, his voice low and quiet. "He wasn't needed any more. The Conte left everything to us after he died, so we have enough money to get by. Barbarossa doesn't bother us anymore. Victor and Ida are traveling the world, and they promised to visit, and Aunt Esther eventually left. Rumor has it that she adopted another child." He turned and crossed his arms in front of him. "Scipio had no reason to stay. I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he went back home to his father, maybe not."

"And good riddance to him," Riccio growled, guzzling the rest of his juice. "We don't need him, either."

Bo turned away, his brow knitted and his teeth clenched. He stood and left, heading toward the stairs onto the roof. Prosper watched him go before picking up his plate and taking it into the kitchen. Riccio snorted and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He flopped down on his mattress and started flipping through a comic book, whistling softly. Hornet sighed and shook her head before standing up and following Prosper into the kitchen.

Mosca met my eyes and spoke softly, making me strain to hear him: "You shouldn't have mentioned him, Pena. A lying thief is always trouble." Then he followed Prosper, balancing Bo's and his own plates.

* * *

Author Note:  
(cringes) I know, I'm a bad girl for not updating in such a long time... School has been awful!  
Anyway... I didn't do much in this chapter. Bigger things will come later, I promise.  
Please, please, please review!  
~Elissa~

Review thanks:  
eragon, Neverland child (x6), InkWeaverabc, and UPDATE NOW.  
Thank you all!


	20. Chapter 17

**If I owned the story, I would probably have more reviews than this…..**

vVvVvVv

I rested my chin on my fist and drummed my fingers on the small, café-style table that overlooked San Marco's Square. Five months had gone by since I'd first met the gang in the Stella; in that time, I'd introduced Adeline to my new friends (she and Linette had enjoyed Venice so much that they'd sold their house in France and moved here permanently) and learned more about life in the gang. I hadn't seen Scipio since he'd told me his story, but I had no doubt that he was still out there.

_Oh, gosh. I sound so paranoid._ I winced.

A loud sigh _whoosh_ed out of my lungs and I shut my eyes. I was waiting for Hornet and Bo to come back from the local hairdresser and I had been waiting for the past hour. And the reason I was alone? Prop, Mosca, and Riccio were conveniently "busy" when Hornet suggested a trip to get haircuts. Plus, they'd pointed out, they didn't really _need_ haircuts.

My arms folded in front of me and I leaned back in my chair. _Not fair,_ my mind protested. _They should have been dragged along, too._

A quiet cough caught my attention and I lazily opened one eye. An old man was dozing at the table next to me, his shoulders sagging forward.

_Well, at least I didn't have to get a haircut,_ I thought, shuddering. Haircuts were easily my worst nightmare.

Why, you ask? When I was a small child, Scuro snuck into my room one night while I slept and cut off all of my hair.

The bad part? He'd cut the back of my head. It was quite terrifying to wake up and see the stain on my pillow, and my trip to the emergency room for stitches didn't help.

"Pena!"

I turned, startled, just in time for Adeline to tackle me in a hug. "How are you?" she asked, grinning.

"I'm great, thanks. How are you and your grandmother?" I answered, holding her at arms length.

"We _love_ it here, Pena," she gushed. I laughed and gestured toward the other chair. She sat down across from me and looked around.

"It's beautiful here," I murmured, smiling at the busy square.

"Pigeons," Adeline added. "Lots and lots of pigeons."

I nodded and we fell silent until Adeline stiffened as her eyes locked onto something in the square. I followed her gaze to see a man in dark glasses sitting at another café table across the square from us. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and an irritated frown was etched onto his thin lips. Sitting with him was a skinny, tall young man who was scribbling furiously onto a piece of paper, his eyebrows drawn together with frustration. He glanced up at his companion and scowled, his bright blue eyes flashing angrily.

"Who…?" I began.

And then I knew.

I cursed under my breath and stood, trying to appear casual, and snuck a glance at them again. They hadn't looked over and seen us yet.

"Pena?" Adeline murmured, worried.

There was no use lying to her. "That's Scuro," I whispered, shivering.

Her eyes widened and she stood with me, taking my arm. "Where are your friends?" she asked quietly, pushing in her chair after her.

I felt like laughing at the gesture's seeming normalcy, but I quickly shook the thought off. "Follow me," I called, dropping her hand and racing ahead of her. Venice's maze-like arrangement of canals stretched on before us but I knew my way as if I held a map in front of my darting eyes. After a few minutes, we slipped inside the barber's shop together.

It didn't take long for us to slip in and convince Hornet and Bo that we needed to leave _now_, and in less than ten minutes we were on our way home.

Right before we entered the alley with the door to the Stella, I stopped. The others backpedaled so they wouldn't run into me; they glanced back and forth between the alley and me. "Pena?" Adeline whispered softly. "Is something wrong?"

"I-"

"Ah, Hornet. It's nice to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Scipio's voice echoed from behind me and I jumped.

Hornet whirled toward him. "Scipio," she snarled, her voice icy.

"You haven't changed," he commented, smirking and crossing his arms across his chest. He leaned against the worn bricks of the building behind him.

"Neither have you." She looked irritated and narrowed her eyes.

"We don't have time for this!" I struggled to keep my voice down. Scipio, Hornet, Bo, and Adeline turned toward me. "We need to leave _now_."

"What's wrong?" Scipio asked, his brow furrowing and his eyes worried.

Adeline explained what was going on while Bo ran to the intersection to keep watch.

All of them sat in silence before Scipio asked, "So… What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," I said tiredly, dropping my head into my hands. "We need to get away from here. From Scuro."

Hornet spoke up, looking a little hesitant, "What about the room behind the curtain?"

"The one we caught Victor in?" Scipio grinned. When Hornet didn't answer, he continued, "That might work. How would we keep her hidden in there, though?"

"We?" Hornet interrupted.

"I'm not going to let you try to hide her yourself. You don't seem to have changed enough to find decent hiding places."

Hornet's expression made me quiver where I stood. "Excuse me," I put in.

Bo ran up to us. "They're coming!"

Scipio muttered a muted curse and grabbed me by the elbow. "What's the chance they won't recognize me, do you think?"

"Not very good," Bo answered apologetically, shrugging his thin shoulders. "You could use the ladder, though."

Scipio nodded decisively and dragged me along behind him as he headed for the back of the building. We stopped underneath a rusted metal ladder that extended from the side of the building. "Here," he grumbled as he nodded at it.

"That doesn't look particularly safe…"

He snorted. "You'll be fine."

"Erm, Scipio?"

"What?"

"I can't."

"Why not? Are you afraid of heights?"

"Not particularly, but…" I gestured to his right hand, which was currently still entwined with my left hand.

Scipio turned a remarkable shade of red and garbled sounds tumbled out of his mouth. He snatched his hand back and looked away. He nodded at the ladder again.

I scurried up the swaying ladder, feeling my own cheeks flaming. _What the heck, Scipio?_ I felt like screaming at him. _What was that?_

Adeline followed me up, Hornet climbed up after her, Bo clambered onto the roof in record time, and Scipio crawled up last. We waited, listening, before Bo opened the door to the stairwell. "Come on," he whispered before charging off down the stairs.

There was nothing we could do but follow.

vVvVvVv

Author's Note:  
Happy almost-Thanksgiving-break! You get a new chapter. I can now disappear off the face of the earth for three days, but I will be back soon. ( InkWeaverabc: I'm sorry! I had to post it! I will send you the next chapter soon. Promise.)  
If you have a little bit of time, review. Even one word (aka "Good," "Bad," "Nooooo…," "Update," etc.) would make me feel loved.  
So here's what I'm going to do: whichever reviewer has the most creative one word review will get a special shout out (in the chapter) and maybe even a section after said chapter. Enter as many times as you want, but NO SPAMMING please. Flaming is fine, I have a fire extinguisher on hand.  
Review!  
~Elissa~

Review thanks:  
Neverland child (with an account now!) x5, InkWeaverabc, Grace of the Night (love ya!), and Philomena Bollani.  
You all get cyber cookies! Yum!


	21. Chapter 18

_A/N: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long writing this chapter….. But I'm posting it now, so don't kill me. Please._

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything but Pena. And Adeline. And the plot.

* * *

The five of us crowded behind the curtain, trying to keep completely silent. I could hear my own racing heartbeat and Scipio's steady breathing beside me. Our shoulders were brushing and his eyes often flickered over to rest on my face. I refused to meet his eyes.

After a few moments of agonizing silence, a harsh scratching sound echoed through the towering shelves in the small room. I tensed, feeling myself begin to hyperventilate, and Scipio stiffened next to me. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and I calmed slightly. "I'll go check," he murmured almost silently.

I looked up and shook my head in panic. "No, you _can't_ go," I started to protest, but Adeline nodded at him and took his place beside me.

"He'll be back, Pena," she whispered. "I can promise you that." A mirthful quirk pulled up the corners of her mouth.

"How are you so sure?"

Her smile grew. "I think that's _his_ business, not mine."

I shook my head at her stubbornness and gritted my teeth together, hoping, praying for his safe return. _But why?_ a small corner of my mind wondered. _You hardly even know him. Why are you so concerned for him?_

Scipio's footsteps were nearly soundless when he came back, grinning and cradling something in his arms. "It's all right," he announced as he held up the thing in his arms. "I'm fairly certain she won't hurt you."

It was a tiny, orange-and-white striped kitten. Her amber eyes were wide as she stared back at the four of us until her little mouth opened in a yawn. I reached toward her but hesitated until Scipio had placed her in my arms.

"You always did have a liking for cats," Hornet commented drily. "Didn't we have ten cats at one point, Bo?"

I ignored her and stared back at the kitten—which couldn't have been much bigger than both of my palms—until the cat started purring. A smile blossomed on my face and I held her closer, tickling her underneath the chin. "Hello," I whispered for her ears only. "You're a pretty little one, aren't you?" Her eyes opened and she rubbed her head against my hand.

Scipio's voice startled me when he asked, "Are you going to name her?"

"May I?" I asked, and he nodded. I racked my brain for a suitable name before finally deciding. "_Ladra_. That's Italian for 'thief', right?"

Scipio grinned at me. "That's right."

Adeline laughed. "She's already stolen your heart, Pena," she commented. I had to agree, grinning with her.

A soft knock sounded on the door and all of us froze again. I put Ladra down and she padded away. "That couldn't be them, could it? Would they knock?" Hornet whispered.

"They wouldn't waste time with that," Scipio agreed. He crept over to the door and called, "Password?"

"Raven's wings," a familiar voice called, sounding irritated. "Open the door already!" Scipio glanced back at us, worried, as the door swung open. Riccio stood outside; he held a few boxes in his arms and he griped, "Finally!" but broke off when he saw Scipio. He paused before yelling, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Hello to you too, hedgehog," Scipio said dryly. "Where's Prop?"

"Out," Riccio growled. His eyes remained on Scipio and that glare sent chills down my spine. "You aren't welcome here anymore."

"He was helping me," I put in, setting Ladra down and crossing my arms across my chest.

"Oh, so this is _your_ fault," Riccio snarled, his glare now turning onto me. Scipio stepped in front of me and directed the small boy's attention back to him.

"She needed help and you didn't seem to be here, so I stepped in," he explained.

"Well, she's fine now, so you can go back to where you _belong_." Riccio spat the word "belong" as if it burned him. "We can take care of ourselves now, _Thief Lord_."

The two stood there for a moment, their intimidating gazes locked onto each other before Scipio barely inclined his head to Riccio. He met my eyes for a split second as he trudged back to the door behind the curtain.

Riccio now turned on me. "What are you doing?"

"What?"

"Why are you talking to him?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Um, he helped make sure I was safe. Is that a crime?"

Riccio's face darkened. "You're fra… fratan—"

"Fraternizing?" I put in drily.

He ignored me. "You're talking to the enemy!"

"He's _not_ the enemy!" Bo said reproachfully. He glared at Riccio. "He made sure you had a place to live, even before he was the Thief Lord. Shouldn't you remember that?"

Riccio laughed derisively and stomped off toward the largest room—probably to sulk in his bed—and Bo, Hornet, Adeline, and I were left in silence.

After a minute or so, Adeline murmured, "I should probably go back. _Grand-maman_ is probably looking for me by now. She was on the phone with Margo's mom—Margo's my best friend—when I left. I'll make sure no one sees me go." She crept out of the door and closed it softly behind her.

"So…" Hornet spoke up. "What do we do now? You obviously can't leave, in case your brother recognizes you."

"I don't know," I admitted. "Could I stay here? Is that safe for all of you?"

"You can't stay inside all of the time. You need somewhere that you can see when it's safe to go out, but somewhere no one can see you."

"The roof?" Bo asked. "She could stay up there. We could move some things up, and she could stay there until it's safe for her to come down."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Hornet said, nodding thoughtfully. "We'll wait for the other boys to come back and then we'll ask them for help."

"Thank you. For everything." I allowed myself a small smile.

The others smiled back and I felt truly thankful for everything I'd been given here at the Stella.

* * *

_A/N: Tada! A new chapter AND a new story, all in the same day! Was it worth the wait? No? Oh._

_Anyway….. I had ONE person who had a one-word review: Margo! cues clapping Thank you for your one-word review: adorable. I'm flattered! Hurrah for you. You are now Adeline's best friend!_

_ hots4vampires: Adeline is twelve._

_Review thanks:_

_hots4vampires, InkConqueror (x6), Margo, and Clovergaze! Thank you all!_


	22. Chapter 19

_A/N: (I'm not dead!) Oh my goodness, I haven't updated since January. I am SO SORRY! Yeah. So since you all waited for so long, this chapter is suuuuper long. 'Cause you all are suuuper!_

**Disclaimer:** Look, I don't own the gang. Or the Stella. Or Venice. I own the plot and any characters that don't seem familiar. Thank you!

* * *

Unfortunately, the feeling of gratitude disappeared after two hours of sitting alone on the roof with nothing to do. _How did Scuro find me?_ I wondered. _The only people other than the gang who know I'm here are Adeline and Linette. And Scipio. And they wouldn't have told Scuro where I was—Scipio doesn't know anything about Scuro except that he's trying to find me…_

I yawned, mentally exhausted from my doubts. My eyes started dropping shut and I didn't try to stop them, embracing the warm feeling of sleep. No dreams interrupted my slumber.

When I woke up, I had the unnerving feeling that someone was watching me. My eyes flickered open and after a moment of dizzy, blurry confusion, I could see someone watching me. I held back a smile, threw an arm over my eyes, and groaned. "Scipio."

"Pena." I could hear the small smirk in his voice.

"What are you doing here?"

He chuckled softly. "I'm on Pena-watch."

"What?" I sat up and looked up at him, incredulous.

"Pena-watch." His smile faded and he continued, "You didn't hear, did you?" My confusion must have showed on my face, because he sighed. "After you moved up here, Riccio disappeared. Prosper told Bo to come find me. Supposedly Riccio was really angry and yelled them before he left."

"What?" I repeated stupidly.

"He wasn't happy to see me. It's my fault."

I pulled myself from my stupor. "No, it's mine. I need to find another place to stay."

"Pena—"

"No, Scipio. The others don't need another mouth to feed, another reason for strife among them…" I trailed off, seeing his face fall, and I wished I hadn't replied. "I can't stay here now."

"Then where will you go? You don't know Venice, and your brother is still here. You can't be constantly looking over your shoulder wherever you go." I opened my mouth but he cut me off. "Pena, _listen_ to me. You can't." We locked eyes and the frightening intensity of his gaze sent chills down my spine. "_Please_ don't."

For a moment I was tempted to comply, but… "I have to. It's not for me."

His shoulders dropped and he sighed. "All right, Pena." My lips curved up in a smile. "Just… Be careful, okay?" He reached out and tentatively took my hand. My heart leapt into my throat and my cheeks heated. His face reddened in response to mine and we wouldn't meet each other's eyes.

"Okay," I responded, ducking my head and allowing my smile to widen a bit.

The door opened behind us and Scipio and I sprang apart. Bo stood there, panting. He didn't seem to notice how flustered the two of us were and instead gasped, "Are you okay up here? Have you seen Riccio?"

Scipio glanced at me and answered, "We're fine. And we haven't seen Riccio. Have you not found him yet?"

"No. We looked… almost everywhere. Didn't see him. Have to keep watch from up here. Better view." He finally looked up at me; his brow furrowed a bit in confusion. "Are you sick, Pena? Your face is all red."

I blushed even more (if that was possible) and shook my head violently. "No, I'm not sick." He shrugged and I changed the subject, asking, "Can I help find Riccio? It's my fault he's gone, anyway."

Bo shook his head. "We're trying to keep you safe, Pena. We can't do that if you aren't here."

Scipio took up my side of the argument. "I could go with her and make sure she's safe. We'd stay close to the alleys, in the shadows." Bo hesitated uncertainly and Scipio continued, "We'll find him much faster if all of us are looking."

The little seven-year-old nodded slowly, the logic dawning on him. "Okay," he answered and turned back to the door. Scipio and I followed him down the stairs and out the door behind the curtain. Then Bo waved at us and ran off to our right, leaving us with the path straight ahead.

Scipio led me down the alley. After three lefts and a right, we reached the edge of the square and he stopped in front of me. I ran into him. "We have to stay back, remember?" he murmured out of the corner of his mouth, smirking at me as I tried to steady myself. "You all right, Pena?"

I glared at him. "Shut up." He chuckled and took my hand again, leading me along.

"I'll look over this way," Scipio said, nodding to our left. "Could you look over there?" I turned in the direction he was pointing. "Just stay in the café until I get back."

I decided to ignore his slightly bossy tone and simply nodded. He smiled and we went our different ways. I found a chair close to the edge of the square and sat down to watch for Riccio and to wait until Scipio got back.

"So you're listening to _him_ now." A small shriek escaped my throat and I jumped. My wide eyes fell on Riccio where he slouched on a pillar next to my chair. He smirked but didn't turn to look at me. "So where is he now?"

"Scipio?" I asked stupidly.

"No, I meant the rainbow cow," Riccio replied sarcastically. "_Yes,_ I meant Scipio."

"He went over that way—"

"What is he doing right now?"

"Umm…"

Riccio gave a short nod. "You don't know, do you?" I opened my mouth but he continued, "So do you know what he _might_ be doing?"

Confused, I shook my head. He turned to face me. "Doesn't it seem strange to you that your brother found you _now,_ after Scipio directed you here, Pena?"

The implications finally dawned on me and I froze. "How… Scipio's never even met him."

"Are you sure?"

I couldn't answer. "He wouldn't. He…" I trailed off, my face reddening as I remembered his hand on mine.

"Well, just think about it." Riccio smirked again and sauntered away, leaving me sitting in my seat.

About five minutes later, Scipio showed up again and I followed him back to the Stella. When we got back, Riccio was on his mattress, reading a comic book. He ignored the two of us and brushed off the gang's questions until they left him alone. I didn't really care—the questions he'd asked me earlier still buzzed mutedly in my mind, though I paid them little attention. Instead, the thing that occupied my thoughts was my stomach. A little while after we got back, it started growling rebelliously despite my attempts to quiet it.

Scipio heard it and smirked. "Hungry?" he asked, shooting me a sidelong glance. I nodded sheepishly. "How about we go get something to eat?" My stomach fairly moaned in agreement.

He asked the others if they wanted to join us, but Prosper and Hornet said they were going to help Bo make a cake for Riccio's upcoming birthday, Mosca was busy drawing up plans for what looked like a boat, and Riccio ignored him when he asked. Strangely enough, Scipio seemed almost _pleased_ that they weren't coming. Or did I just imagine it?

The two of us walked down to a little café, ordered, and sat down to wait for our food. For a while, neither of us said anything, but I finally broke the silence. "So… do you really think it's safe for me to be here?"

He smiled crookedly at me, the right side of his mouth pulling up more than the left. "I know the owner of this café. If anyone comes in that you recognize, he'll let us out in the back."

"Oh," I replied. We fell silent for a while and I watched him as he looked around the café. His lips twitched every once in a while as if he were remembering some joke. Finally his eyes rested on me and I looked down awkwardly as I realized that I was staring. "Erm… Do you think Riccio will like his cake?"

He chuckled, seeming to understand my uncomfortable need for conversation. "Yes," he answered. "Prop has become a good cook in the past few years—or so I've heard. His brother thinks so, anyway." His smile grew a little and he asked, "How long do you think until he and Hornet will realize their… _attachment_ for each other?"

I looked up, my eyebrows flying up. "You noticed that, too?"

He laughed, nodding. "I think everyone has noticed. Except them, of course."

"Of course," I agreed. A boy no older than five bumped into his chair and Scipio winced. "This is a… _cozy_ little place, isn't it?" I asked, smirking.

He scooted further toward the table, pinning himself. "That it is," he said, sounding slightly pained. I laughed and he gestured to the seat next to me, asking for permission to move. At my nod, he stood and shifted around the table to sit beside me.

After about five minutes or so of meaningless chatter, a red-faced man whose accent made it obvious that he was a native Italian came out from a door in the back of the restaurant and served us our food. We both immediately dug in, relishing the green, sharp tastes of the freshly picked herbs and the savory richness of the sauces drizzled over our individual dishes. When we'd finished, we simultaneously leaned back and gave a satisfied sigh.

"Thank you," I said, a small smile playing around the corners of my mouth. "That was delicious."

He glanced over at me and gave a small quirk of his lips. "You're welcome," he answered. After he paid for our meal, we stood and left the café. The sun was dipping below the clouds and painting the sky with scarlet and gold.

The two of us walked down toward the shore, sat on the edge of a stone wall, and watched the busy people on the streets. Somehow, I ended up with my head on his shoulder and his arm around me, but I didn't mind—it was comfortable and he was warm even though the chilly wind whirled around us. We talked about everything from school (he'd dropped out after moving out of his father's house) to interests (he had taken up drawing and was good enough to sell some of his art in the streets for a little money) to favorite foods (chocolate for both of us).

"Scipio," I asked, my eyes closed and my entire body relaxed, "what do you want to be when you grow up?"

He thought a while before replying, "I've thought about being a doctor."

"Really?"

"Yes," he said, laughing. "Strange, isn't it? How our dreams change? Just a few weeks ago I could have sworn I was going to be a detective. And now…" He shook his head.

"I can imagine you being a doctor." I could feel him chuckle and I continued, "You took the gang in when they needed it. You were there, whenever something went wrong. You were like… a father to them."

"A father." He shook his head. "Is that what a father is like?"

I shifted slightly so I could meet his eyes, smiling at how young and vulnerable he looked. "It's how they're _supposed_ to be."

* * *

_A/N: I missed my 100-review mark. D= Nooo!  
__Well, thank you all for sticking with it._

_I've had a few people review/message me and ask for the ages of everyone, so here they are:  
__Pena—15  
__Scuro (if you all care about him. Ha!)—19  
__Adeline—12  
__Scipio—16 (Edited 6/25: Thanks to all of the reviewers who pointed this out... sorry!)  
__Prop—15  
__Hornet—15  
__Bo—8  
__Mosca—17  
__Riccio—14_

_I hope this helps!_

_Review thanks:  
__KelpGirlDOP__, Neverland Child, InkWeaverabc, InkConqueror, maricafa, CyD12Inklover, Stacy, and Tiryn. You all are awesome!_

_Specialness thanks:  
__SilverTongueabc__ (x18) and Adriatic Rose (x14) for their lots of reviews. I love you. (Not really, that would be creepy.)  
__And maricafa, who informed me that my translations are wrong. Sorry! I'm going to change it as soon as I can…_

_Anyway. Yeah!_

_~Elissa~_


	23. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I own EVERYTHING about _The Thief Lord_. That's why I'm making so much money writing FAN FICTION.

* * *

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I remembered was waking up on the roof. "What the heck?" I murmured, looking around sleepily. "How did I get here?"

"Scipio carried you," a voice responded. I gave a small shout and Hornet laughed. "You know," she said slyly, "I think he likes you."

"What?"

She smiled, satisfied with my response. "You heard me."

I recovered my composure and snorted dryly. "That's... That's ridiculous, Hornet."

She raised an eyebrow at me, smiling with childish glee. "And you know what else?" she continued. I didn't answer, didn't look her in the eye. "I think you like him, too."

My face instantly changed to the color of a fully ripe tomato and my mouth opened and closed as I tried to find a suitable retort.

I couldn't.

"Ha! I knew it!" Hornet cried triumphantly, her grin widening until I seriously worried about her face splitting in half. "Does he know you like him yet?"

If my face suddenly burst into flames, it wouldn't have been any hotter than it was then. "He might," I mumbled, remembering my head in the crook of his neck, the warmth of his hand on mine.

"Huh. You know, I don't really get what it is that you see in him. He's more like a brother to me, I guess. Do you think he's cute?"

"Erm..."

"You do, don't you?" Hornet nudged me with her elbow. "Aww. You two were sooo cute together when he brought you in." She seemed oblivious to my glare as she continued, "Aww, Pena and Skippy are in wuuuuv!"

That was the last straw. I stood, my movements sharp and decisive, and strode to the stairs. My hand shot out to turn the doorknob, but the door opened and I lost my balance. I gave out a startled cry as I fell on the poor unfortunate on the other side of the doorway—

Oh, joy. Scipio.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I backed away from him as soon as I could stand and he righted himself as well.

"It's all right. I was just coming up to get you, actually. I—" he broke off when he saw Hornet and his brow furrowed in confusion at her broad, smug grin. "Hi, Hornet," he said warily, watching her suspiciously. "Is something wrong?" Here he glanced between the two of us.

I shook my head wildly and Hornet shook with the force of her silent laughter. Turning toward her, I shot the mischievous-looking girl a pleading look.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong," she said in a sing-song voice. "I was just going downstairs to see if Prosper needed any help. I'll just leave you two here." She fairly skipped to the doorway before turning back to me. "Oh, I almost forgot! Prop's going to get a new mattress for you today, Pena. So you'll need to find somewhere to sleep." At my nod, she smirked again and closed the door behind her, leaving Scipio and me alone. I could hear her laughing as she descended the stairs and I hoped Scipio didn't.

"So..." he said, turning to me.

"So?" I repeated. _Genius, Pena. Just genius,_ my mind mocked. I ignored it.

"Uh, nothing." He looked away from me, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "C'mon. Let's go find a place for you to sleep." He followed me down the stairs and I winced as Hornet and Prop met us at the bottom, both wearing huge smiles. _Great. My day just got a whole lot more awkward._

vVvVvVv

A thin wisp of smoke curled lazily through the shadows and lazy eyes watched its path upward. After the serpentine vapor dissolved into the air, the watching man lit another match and held it up. A cool breeze gusted around him, blowing out the sickly flame, but he didn't seem bothered. He simply lit another and stared blankly as it burned itself down into a blackened stick before flicking it away and crossing his arms in front of him to try to keep the chill away.

He shifted his feet for a while, shivering beneath his coat and checking his watch at differing intervals of time, before he shook his head. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his long coat and started walking away from the doorway, further out of the alleyway. "Should've known he wouldn't show up," he growled beneath his breath, accompanied by a colorful array of expletives. "'s not like he ever—"

"You know," another voice cut in. The first man jumped and turned to see the speaker leaning against a pillar that jutted out of one of the alleys. "There is a sort of… _stealth_… that should be involved in this sort of thing. And talking to one's self doesn't exactly scream of stealth, now does it?"

His statement was met by a glare that would have made any other man shudder. He didn't even blink, just smirked amusedly. "Are you quite finished?" he asked dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Our employer _did_ mention that you're useless when it comes to stealth, but this…"

"That's why he hired _you_, I suppose," the first man spat. "To take over my job."

"Now, now—don't be like that, Antonio. It is Antonio, isn't it? But I'm not taking over your job. I'm leading her to you. That's all."

Antonio relaxed slightly, inclining his head. "Don't try to make a fool of me. I'm not someone you want for an enemy. I've killed before."

The other man's smirk grew. "Ah, have you? And may I ask _who_ you've killed?" When Antonio didn't answer, he nodded. "Well, then. Let's hope you know enough to take care of our employer's… _problem_. Because if not…" He shrugged, mimicking slitting his throat.

"He shouldn't worry. And he's a bit… _young_ to be killing, isn't he?"

A dry laugh rang from the other's throat. "Trust me, age doesn't determine that. But he's mad enough to want to kill."

"What does that make us?"

He snorted. "We're just as mad as he is."

* * *

_A/N: -dodges various chairs, fruit, etc.- Hey, I just posted CHAPTER TWENTY. Ah, well. Anyway.  
__Well, hello! I'm back. Sorry, school's insane. And I've been a bit….. lazy.  
__So, yeah. 145 reviews? I love you guys! I'm planning on updating more frequently (not like I feel guilty for leaving you all hanging or anything…..), but don't shoot me if I end up falling off the planet or something. Busy, busy life 'n all.  
__Oh! One more thing. Tiryn wrote a review asking for a Scipio POV chappie and I think it's a brilliant idea. Sooo look out for that soon._

_Review thanks:  
__Elizabeth (x3), Rekanele, persona, salt234, LILY0210, Gwen O'Connel, Magpieintheshadow, and Tiryn. You all made my day(s)!_

_I think that's it. Yeah, that's all. Bye!_

_~Elissa~_


	24. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

Chapter 21

After Scipio and I found a distant corner for my mattress, we wandered idly to the part of the theatre the gang used as a kitchen. Bo was there, and he spun around when we entered. "Oh," he said, his face lighting up with a grin. "I thought you were Hornet."

Scipio shot him an answering grin, gesturing to an object on the counter behind Bo. "Is that her cake?"

Bo nodded, lifting the towel that shrouded the partially-iced cake. "Prop said to wait for him. He's at the store."

The three of us peeked at the light blue cake. "It's very pretty," I commented, smiling as Bo's face lit up.

"It's chocolate—Hornet's favourite. We're celebrating later today," he explained, clearly trying to appear calm. "But you can't tell her. It's a surprise."

Scipio grinned and tousled his hair. "We won't tell her."

"Thanks!" Bo bounded off without any warning and Scipio and I shared an amused glance. The warmth of his glance made my face heat and I looked away, chiding myself mentally. _Calm down, Pena. You're being ridiculous._

"What are you planning on doing today?" I blurted out, hoping he hadn't noticed.

He shrugged. "Maybe go help Prop with the shopping." When I nodded, he asked, "Do you want to come, too?" I nodded, feeling glad of something to do. He reached out and grasped my hand and all of my brain activity ceased except for one thought: OH MY GOSH HE'S HOLDING MY HAND. Thankfully, I had the sense to keep myself from dancing giddily or giggling like a fool as we walked out of the Stella and down to the shops.

I couldn't tell how much time passed before we were helping Prop lug the shopping back to the Stella; the only thing that crossed my mind was anger toward said shopping—it kept our hands full. More than once I caught myself glaring at the unfortunate eggs in my hands, thinking about throwing the carton into the canal. When we finally got back to the Stella, the eggs were rescued from my wrath. After we put the shopping away, Bo pleaded with me until I found myself helping ice Hornet's cake.

"I'm really no good at this," I laughed, smoothing the icing down with a spreader. Well, _trying_ to smooth it down. It looked lumpier than it should have and there was icing all over the counter. Bo swiped at the icing and I swatted at his hand. "And that isn't helping!"

Prop grinned and pulled Bo away from the cake, trying to hold him back. "Hurry up and finish it!" he laughed. Scipio smirked at Bo before slipping past the brothers. He swiped a finger across the cake and was leaning against the wall again before I could react.

I gaped at him. "You did _not_ just do that." He merely smiled good-humoredly, waving at me. "You know what? _You_ finish it!" I tried to appear stern, but his laughter was contagious and before long, all four of us were cackling helplessly.

Scipio took the spreader from my hand and took my place at the counter, finishing the job faster than I ever could have. "Satisfied?" he asked. Mirroring his broad grin, I nodded and thanked him. The warmth in his eyes made my stomach flip pleasantly.

Prosper and Bo thanked us before shooing us away from the kitchen to finish cooking dinner. Scipio suggested that we walk around and before long we were sitting at a café in the plaza. "So," I asked, swirling the remnants of my coffee around in my mug. "What else have you done since you left your father?"

He looked up, blinking. "Not much," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

Scipio took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. "I worked with Victor Getz for a while," he admitted. "But then he and Ida got married and left. I found a warehouse and started working for anyone who would hire me." He shrugged. "It kept me going, really. I learned a lot."

"Now what do you do?"

He took another sip. "Same thing. It pays enough and I enjoy it."

I nodded, studying him discreetly in my peripheral vision and wondering if I should ask him about Riccio's accusations. "Scipio," I began after a short silence. He met my eyes and smiled so curiously, so openly, that my question died on my lips. "Nothing," I finished, looking away. His gaze was heavy on me—he looked more pensive and brooding than I'd ever seen him.

Scipio finished his coffee and asked, "Are you finished?" I nodded, gathering my coat and my empty coffee cup, before we left the café.

vVvVvVv

_This isn't supposed to be happening,_ I thought, panic rising inside me. _I can't fall for her. Keep cool, Scipio._

"Scipio?" Pena's voice interrupted my silent berating. When I didn't respond, concern covered her features and she took my hand.

My head spun. _No, stop that!_ I reprimanded it.

"Yes?" I asked aloud. She smiled, and I felt a small thrill. "Sorry, right. Er…" I broke off awkwardly.

"Are we going back?" she inquired. She must have read my confusion because she continued, "For Hornet's birthday, I mean."

"Oh." I nodded and lead her along, rebuking the warmth I felt when she didn't pull away from my hand.

We walked in comfortable silence for the rest of the time; the sunlight and calm that enfolded us meant more than any chatter. When we arrived, I knocked softly on the door. Bo peeped out at us and grinned, "Are you here for the party?"

Pena ruffled his hair, mirroring the broad smile. "Of course," she answered as we were let in. As soon as we had passed out of the long hallway and into the center room, she gasped in surprise. The entire room had been decked out in streamers and… Were those _Christmas_ lights? Yes, Christmas lights adorned the banisters and wrapped around the rows of seats. It was as if the stars themselves had decided to embellish the theatre with their glittering splendor.

I peeked to my left, taking in the wonder scrawled across Pena's face. She met my eyes and our mouths spread wide in awestruck smiles. Bo puffed out his chest proudly. "So?" he asked. Pena responded by laughing delightedly and hugging him. He giggled, even as he squirmed out of her grip. "C'mon, we're all over here," he exclaimed when he'd escaped. He grabbed Pena's outstretched hand and dragged her along behind him. With her free hand, she caught on to my sleeve and I followed her. A carefree laugh bubbled up from my chest.

My former band of orphans glanced up in surprise at the sound, but Hornet joined in and—after a momentary, tense silence—so did everyone else. I shot Hornet a grateful look and in response, she stuck out her tongue at me.

That gesture told me, more than anything else, that I had been forgiven.

We relaxed, drinking in the warm atmosphere of celebration the party afforded us. The laughter never truly ceased—it was a living entity, occupying the room just like we were; a symphony of delight that _breathed_, just the same as any of us.

An hour later, candles had been extinguished, paper crumpled, and cake eaten (or smeared across a face, in Bo's case. I had suspicions about Riccio's involvement, but I wasn't sure). Lazy contentment overtook us, and we stretched out, yawning loudly. I felt welcomed by this ragtag group of teenagers who would probably be considered "ruffians" by idle adults. That thought alone made me smirk, _Ruffians indeed._ My eyes lingered on Prop and Hornet as they scooted even closer to each other. Pena shot me a pointed look, her eyebrows raised and a smug grin raising one corner of her lips. Warmth flooded through my limbs and I felt lighter than I had in a long time. I felt comfortable. I felt loved.

* * *

_A/N: Hiya. I finally decided to work on this some more. Sorry about my lazy procrastination. (Translation: I recently got addicted to both Doctor Who and Sherlock. I do have a valid excuse.) And Scip's part of the chapter was harder to write than I thought. I hope you all liked it better than I did._

_Guess what? 152 reviews. 152! YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST! I can't tell you how much it means to me that people actually read my stories. Or how cool it is to have people leave comments._

_Review thanks:_

_Neverland Child, Rekanele, A Walrus (love your username, by the way), Tiryn, InkWeaverabc, Magpieintheshadow, and LucyInTheSky. You all get some of Hornet's birthday cake. Yum._

_Oh, wait! BIG NEWS! I am finishing this story soon—that's my New Year's resolution. Plus, I'm participating in NaNo in November, so I want to have it done before then. Hopefully very soon. (Reviews give me encouragement. Hint, hint.)_

_~Elissa~_


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